6 Ways to Save Water in the Bathroom
Most of our water use takes place in the bathroom. We wake up in the morning, stumble to the bathroom, use the toilet, take a shower, brush our teeth and wash our face, though maybe not in that order. That’s a lot of water!
Water is essential for survival and we use it for everything from drinking and cleaning to landscaping, beauty, and entertainment. Do we even realize how much we are using and how much it costs?
According to the U.S. EPA, “The average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water per day at home. Roughly 70 percent of this use occurs indoors.”
The best way to tell how much water your household uses is by taking a look at your water bill. Sometimes, you can find the current meter reading and previous readings from the same time last year for comparison.
Your water consumption is measured in centum cubic feet (CFC), also known as HCF (hundred cubic feet). This represents the amount of water in one hundred cubic feet of water, equal to 748 gallons.
When it comes to cutting your water use, most of it is about behavior modifications. While things like low-flow toilets and showerheads help, it’s easy to conserve water without spending a dime.
How to Save Water in the Bathroom
We chose to focus on the bathroom because it is by far the largest consumer of water in the home. If you are thinking about a New Year’s resolution this year, try using water more wisely in the bathroom.
Here are 6 ways to save water in the bathroom:
Low-Flow Toilets
If you have an older toilet, you are probably using 3.5 gallons or more per flush. Fortunately, modern toilets and retrofits only use around 1.5 gallons per flush, enabling you to save around 13,000 gallons of water every single year.
If you replace all of the old, inefficient toilets in your home with WaterSense labeled models, you can save around $130 every year in water costs (U.S. EPA).
Ask your local plumber about your green toilet options.
Low-Flow Faucets
By replacing an inefficient faucet and aerator with a WaterSense model, you can save around $250 in water and electricity costs over the faucet’s lifespan (U.S. EPA).
WaterSense bathroom faucets use a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute.
At the very least, make sure there are water-saving aerators installed on all of your faucets. If your aerators are clogged and dirty, it’s pretty easy to remove and clean yourself. You can soak it in vinegar and brush it clean with a toothbrush.
Speak with your plumber about installing water-saving devices in the bathroom, especially if you don’t even have aerators. Aerators and low-flow regulators can help cut your bathroom usage by up to 50%.
Low-Flow Showerheads
Low-flow showerheads have evolved since the days of Seinfeld. You can save water in the shower without compromising water power.
Instead of the standard 2.5 gallons per minute, a WaterSense model uses a maximum of 2 gallons per minute. They also ensure that the shower experience is equal or better than what you would get from conventional showerheads.
Switching to low-flow showerheads can save you up to 750 gallons a month or 9000 gallons a year.
Ask your plumber about replacing all of your toilets, sink faucets, and showerheads with WaterSense models. Not only will you save around 10,000 gallons of water every year, but you’ll also get a beautiful looking remodel (U.S. EPA).
Fix the Leaks
The average home has at least one plumbing leak in the home, whether it be from toilets, sinks, or other areas in your plumbing. This could mean thousands or tens of thousands of wasted water every year.
Toilet leaks can go unnoticed for years because they don’t make much noise. Test your home once a year for toilet leaks by placing a few drops of food dye in the tank (remove the tank lid) and observing if any of the color makes it into the toilet bowl.
If you want to know if there are any leaks in the plumbing system, find your water meter. It should have a “low flow indicator” (aka, the leak indicator) which tells you if there are any low flow leaks in the home.
If the leak indicator is not moving, that doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have a leak. Write down the meter reading and then check back in about 30 minutes to see if there is any difference in the numbers (it’s important to not use any water during this time).
While fixing a plumbing leak may be as simple as replacing the flapper in your toilet or the washer in your faucet, more complicated repairs should be left to the pros. If you can’t fix the problem yourself, call a plumber right away. You’ll quickly make the money back from your water bill savings.
Take Short, Cold Showers
This may sound crazy, but try taking short, cold showers. Cold “navy” showers have many health and environmental benefits.
While you may enjoy your long, hot showers, they could be doing more harm than good. A short cold shower will wake up your skin cells and give you that extra boost of energy you need in the morning.
You may also want to think about the fact that showers consume about 1/5 of your home’s total water usage. Even if you don’t take the cold shower route, consider turning off the water while you are lathering up. This will also save you on soap and cleaning products.
Only Flush Human Waste and Toilet Paper
Never flush tissues, wet wipes, feminine hygiene products, diapers, animal waste, or anything else down the toilet, except for human waste and toilet paper.
Not only are these things bad for the septic system, treatment plants, and the environment, they also waste a lot of water. By throwing these things in the trash, you’ll be saving water every time.
Sign up for the Fix-It Green Club for annual plumbing, heating, and cooling tune-ups. This includes a leak inspection water heater flush, and much more.
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