The California drought is making headlines across the country. The state is now in its fourth year of record-breaking drought, which prompted Governor Jerry Brown to declare a State of Emergency early this year. As a result, state residents are taking drastic measures to reduce water usage.
The California drought has brought a lot of attention to the importance of water conservation, and residents of Maryland and D.C. are taking the opportunity to learn about saving water. If we all make a concerted effort to save water in Maryland, we can ensure a healthier environment now and in the future.
We can also save water in Maryland and D.C. to benefit ourselves on a more individual level. Cutting back your water use at home can reduce your water bills and potentially save you a significant amount in the long run. In this week's blog, we'll talk about some of the best ways to save water at home.
California Drought Lessons: Save Water in Maryland and D.C.
In the Bathroom
75% of your indoor water use takes place in the bathroom, which means there are plenty of opportunities to cut back here.
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Take shorter showers. 5-10 gallons of water are used for every minute you shower. If you cut a 10 minute shower in half, you could save 50 gallons of water, which adds up fast!
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Check the toilet for a leak. Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If they show up in the bowl within 30 minutes, there's a leak that needs to be fixed.
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Don't flush the toilet unnecessarily. Lots of people use the toilet as a trash can, but this wastes a lot of water.
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Install a water-saving shower head. These can cut shower water usage down to 1.5 gallons per minute.
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Install a water-saving aerator in the sink faucet.
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Don't run the water while you brush your teeth or shave.
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Repair dripping faucets and showerheads. A faucet that drips at the rate of one drop per second will waste 2,700 gallons of water in a year!
In the Kitchen
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Don't run water to thaw frozen food.
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If you hand wash your dishes, don't leave the water running. Instead, only use water to get a soapy lather going, and then rinse again to remove the soap.
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Reduce your use of the garbage disposal, which requires a lot of water to operate. Consider starting a compost pile outside instead.
Outside
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Don't water your lawn unless it needs it. In the summer, you only need to water in once a week.
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Look for leaks in outdoor faucets, pipes, and hoses. A dripping spigot can waste a lot of water over time.
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Don't run the hose while you wash your car. Soap up, then rinse. Also, try to wash your car less frequently.
Other
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Make sure your hot water pipes are insulated. This promotes retention of heat, which means the hot water gets to you sooner, so you don't waste water waiting for it to get hot.
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Check your home for water leaks. To do so, check your water meter, and then don't use any water for 2 hours. Now check it again. If you get a different reading, there's a leak.
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Only run the washing machine and the dishwasher when they're full.
Save Energy With a Home Energy Audit
The California drought is teaching us a lot about how to save water in Maryland and D.C. If you want to learn more about saving energy in your home, consider a home energy audit from greeNEWit! We can help your home run more efficiently, saving you energy and money on energy bills. We've also saved our customers more than 1 billion gallons of water to date. To put it another way, we've saved our customers enough water to fill 2,023 olympic-sized swimming pools! Start your energy savings today by calling 866.994.7639, or use our contact form.