Low-cost, No-cost Ways to Save Water

Here are some low-cost/no-cost water and energy saving tips for your home:

• Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible. Hot water wash cycles use more energy than cold water.
• Turn off the faucets when you brush your teeth or shave. Use a glass of water for rinsing and leave water in the sink for shaving.
• Repair leaking toilets and faucets promptly. A leaking faucet can waste up to 11,000 litres (2,400 gallons) of water (or more) every year.
• To prevent taps from leaking, turn them off properly and replace washers as necessary.
• In the kitchen, use a bowl to wash vegetables rather than rinsing them under the tap.
• Thaw frozen foods in the fridge, or use the microwave instead of thawing them under running water.
• If you must rinse dishes first, use cold water and conserve water with a low-flow 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) faucet aerator.
• Wash only full loads. The dishwasher uses the same amount of water, for full and half full loads.
• Install water and energy saving faucet aerators and showerheads with a flow rate of 1.5 gpm or less.
• Put food colouring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. Fix it and save more than 600 gallons a month.
• Drop that tissue in the waste bin instead of flushing it and save litres every time.
• For peak operating efficiency, load your clothes washer to capacity. A full load uses less water than two half loads.
• Consider an ENERGY STAR® front-loading washing machine. It uses considerably less water than a top-loader.
• Insulate the first metre and a half of your water pipes going in and out of your water heater with pipe wrap to reduce heat loss and save energy.