- How to Conserve Water
- Always turn taps off tightly so they do not drip.
- Promptly repair any leaks in and around your taps. (One leak can waste several thousand litres of water per year.)
- Use an aerator and/or a water flow-reducer attachment on your tap to reduce your water usage.
- When hand-washing dishes, never run water continuously. Wash dishes in a partially filled sink and then rinse them using the spray attachment on your tap.
- If you have an electric dishwasher, use it only to wash full loads, and use the shortest cycle possible. Many dishwashers have a conserver/water-miser cycle.
- When brushing your teeth, turn the water off while you are actually brushing. Use short bursts of water for cleaning your brush. (This saves about 80% of the water normally used.)
- When washing or shaving, partially fill the sink and use that water rather than running the tap continuously. (This saves about 60% of the water normally used.) Use short bursts of water to clean razors.
- Use either low-flow shower heads or adjustable flow-reducer devices on your shower heads. (They reduce flow by at least 25%.)
- You can reduce water usage by 40% to 50% by installing low-flush toilets.
- Wash only full loads in your washing machine.
- Use the shortest cycle possible for washing clothes, and use the “suds-saver” feature if your machine has one.
- Use only cleaning products that will not harm the environment when they are washed away after use. Look for “environmentally friendly” products when shopping.
- Lawns and gardens require only 5 millimetres of water per day during warm weather. Less is needed during spring, fall, or cool weather.
- Water lawns every three to five days, rather than for a short period every day. In warm weather, apply 5 millimetres of water for each day since the last watering.
- Water during the cool part of the day, in the morning or evening. Do not water on windy days.
- Do not over-water in anticipation of a shortage. Soil cannot store extra water.
- Use shut-off timers or on-off timers, if possible. Do not turn on sprinklers and leave for the day.