Indoor water use

Water is essential to each of us every day. But it’s a limited resource, so we all need to rethink the way we use water on a daily basis. By following these water-saving tips inside your home, you can help save water every day.

Laundry room

• Use the washing machine for full loads only to save water and energy.
• Install a water-efficient clothes washer and save up to 16 gallons per load.
• Washing dark clothes in cold water saves water and energy. It also helps your clothes retain their color.

Kitchen

• Run the dishwasher only when full to save water and energy.
• Install a water-and energy-efficient dishwasher. Save: 3 to 8 gallons per load.
• Install aerators on the kitchen faucet to reduce flows to less than 1 gallon per minute.
• When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run. Fill one basin with wash water and the other with rinse water.
• Dishwashers typically use less water than washing dishes by hand.
• If your dishwasher is new, cut back on rinsing. Newer models clean more thoroughly than older ones.
• Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
• Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Instead, compost vegetable food waste and save gallons every time.
• Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.
• Don’t use running water to thaw food. Defrost food in the refrigerator.
• Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap.
• Cook food in as little water as possible. This also helps it retain more nutrients.
• Select the proper pan size for cooking. Large pans may require more cooking water than necessary.
• If you accidentally drop ice cubes, don’t throw them in the sink. Drop them in a house plant instead.
• Collect the water you use while rinsing fruit and vegetables. Use it to water house plants.

Bathroom

• Install low-flow shower heads. Save: 2.5 gallons.
• Take five-minute showers instead of 10-minute showers. Save: 12.5 gallons with a low-flow showerhead, 25 gallons with a standard 5 gallon-per-minute showerhead.
• Fill the bathtub halfway or less. Save: 12 gallons.
• When running a bath, plug the bathtub before turning on the water. Adjust the temperature as the tub fills.
• Install aerators on bathroom faucets. Save: 1.2 gallons per person per day
• Turn water off when brushing teeth or shaving. Save about 10 gallons per day
• Install a high-efficiency toilet to save: 19 gallons per person per day. Take advantage of CCWD’s toilet rebate program here.
• Don’t use the toilet as a wastebasket.
• Be sure to test your toilet for leaks at least once a year.
• Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak. Fix it and start saving gallons.
• Consider buying a dual-flush toilet. It has two flush options: a half-flush for liquid waste and a full-flush for solid waste.
• Plug the sink instead of running the water to rinse your razor and save up to 300 gallons a month.
• Turn off the water while washing your hair and save up to 150 gallons a month.
• When washing your hands, turn the water off while you lather.
• Take a (short) shower instead of a bath. A bathtub can use up to 70 gallons of water.