7 Easy Ways To Be More Water Conscious
Making small changes to conserve water throughout your home and daily life can end up making a significant impact on your local environment and your monthly water bill. Although many people don’t realize it, potable water, or water considered safe for consumption, is an incredibly important and scarce resource that is being overdrawn in Arizona and across our nation at large.
Want to help make a difference? Below are 7 tips to help you become more mindful of your water consumption and cut back on your usage:
01. Check your toilet for leaks.
Sometimes you can hear them, sometimes you can see them. If you don't hear any leaks, wait until the toilet is full and take the top off. If there is a small leak, you will be able to see small ripples of water moving. If there is any water moving into the upper tank or lower bowl, you have a leak.
02. Install water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors.
The average shower head uses somewhere between 5-10 gallons a minute when showering. This can be cut down to 3 gallons/minute simply by switching out your shower head or using a flow restrictor. You will still get plenty of water to ensure your shower is still cleansing and refreshing!
03. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
You can put a few inches of warm water in the bottom of the sink and clean your razor in the standing water. When brushing, turn the water off after you wet the toothbrush and don't turn it back on until you're ready to rinse your mouth!
04. Check faucets and pipes for leaks.
Even a small leak can be a big problem for your water usage. One thing to remember about leaks is they are wasting water 24 hours a day. An eye inspection should reveal any leaks under the sinks, behind the toilets, etc. Most leaks can be fixed with a washer from your local hardware store. Don't forget to shop small business when possible!
05. Only wash full loads of laundry or dishes to cut down on water usage through appliances.
Washing a half load of laundry or dishes, means that you'll do twice as many loads. Some wash machines allow you to select the load size, but all dishwashers will use the same amount of water per load, make those loads count!
06. Plant drought-resistant trees and plants.
If you are buying a home or renovating an outdoor space, it is good to be mindful of how much water it will take to maintain everything. It might not be ideal for water usage of you have 2 acres of grass in the middle of Phoenix. You can have a beautiful outdoor space without it becoming cumbersome on your water usage.
07. Buy any Desert Dweller Co. Product!
When you buy any Desert Dweller Co. product, 10% of your purchase directly supports water sustainability initiatives in our state. Our current project? Installing SOURCE hydropanels for a growing number of interested families on the Navajo Nation.
Learn more at DesertDwellerCo.com. #TogetherWeSaveWater