Office of Sustainability

Water

Why should you conserve water?

• Water is a finite resource. Less than 1% of all the water on earth is available for human use.

• High water use costs more. The average family spends more than $1,000 per year in water costs.

• Treatment of drinking water and wastewater is energy intensive. EPA estimates ~2 percent of national electricity consumption is used to provide drinking water and wastewater services each year.

• Heating water accounts for about 20% of your home’s energy use. Reducing your hot water use can help you reduce your monthly water heating bills.

How to conserve:

• Buy and install products with high water efficiency and performance. Look for the WaterSense Label designating products that are 20% more efficient than average. Products include faucets, shower heads, toilets, and more.

• Check for and fix household leaks, which waste approximately 900 billion gallons of water annually nationwide.

• Avoid baths and keep showers short to reduce hot water use.

• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth to save 8 gallons of water per day.

• Washing dishes by hand is less efficient than running a full dishwasher.  Using the shortest wash setting on your dishwasher saves even more energy.

• If you have to wash dishes by hand, plug up the sink or use a wash tub. Letting your faucet run for five minutes while washing dishes can waste 10 gallons of water.

• If possible, irrigate your landscapes with rainwater or “Grey Water”, the water from sinks, showers, and washing machines.

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