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Conserve Freshwater
The average Bay resident uses between 75 and 100 gallons of water per day. Only about four gallons is needed for survival. Much of the rest is used to carry waste. Close to 40 million gallons of wastewater from our sewage treatment plants flow into Buzzards Bay every day. Most of us take for granted that clean water in unlimited quantity will always be available, yet increased development in the area has increased consumption and added to stream, river, and Bay pollution. This can cause depletion of groundwater supplies and can reduce usable water. Remember, only 1% of the water on the planet is potable (drinkable). The rest is in the oceans or frozen in icebergs and glaciers.
The first step in conserving water is to check for and eliminate any leaks in faucets, toilets, hoses, and pipes. At water pressures normally encountered in household systems, a 1/32 inch opening in a faucet can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day; a steady drip wastes roughly 20 gallons per day; a leaking toilet alone may waste 200 gallons per day without making a sound! So if you find any leaks, fix them at once!
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Other places to conserve water at home:
Laundry
- Use washing machines only with full clothing loads, and always set load dial appropriately.
Kitchen
- Run automatic dishwashers only with full load.
- If washing dishes in the sink, use one side of sink or a large bowl or tub to hold rinse water, rather than running the water.
- If you have a garbage disposal or are considering one, remember that this appliance uses a great deal of unnecessary water. Further, its large contribution of solids can cause problems in septic systems and in sewage treatment.
Bathroom
- Conventional toilets use about five to seven gallons of water per flush. Water used for each flush can be reduced to approximately three gallons by placing two half-gallon plastic bottles filled with water in the tank. Be sure to place the bottles where they won't interfere with the flushing mechanism. Otherwise your toilet will run constantly.
- Don't flush every time you use the toilet.
- Check for leakage. Add some food coloring to your tank and note if any appears in the bowl without flushing after 30 minutes. If color appears, you have a leak. A toilet that leaks for six months can waste 45,000 gallons of water.
- Install a water-saving shower head. These devices can be purchased at a hardware store and are easy to install. They reduce flow to approximately three gallons per minute instead of the usual five to ten.
- Don't run the tap water while brushing teeth or shaving.
Outdoors
- Always keep a nozzle on hoses so that the water turns off automatically when it isn't needed.
- Leaving a hose running for one hour uses 375 gallons of water. Water your lawn during the evening to avoid rapid evaporation. This will allow the water to seep in more deeply. Also consider using drip irrigation hoses.
- Wash cars on the grass. Wash one section of the car at a time and rinse that section quickly.
This page was adapted from text written by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
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