United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(WH-550)
EPA 570/9-91-100
September 1992
«EPA
Fact Sheet:
21 Water Conservation Measures
for Everybody
The earth is covered with water, yet only one percent is available for drinking.
Unfortunately, many of us take this small percentage for granted. The average
adult needs only 2-1/2 quarts of water per day to maintain health, but in the
United States, we each use 125 to 150 gallons per day for cooking, washing,
flushing, and watering. That's over 40 percent more water than we need to ac-
complish these tasks. Our wasteful habits not only deplete clean water reser-
ves faster than we can replenish them, but they pollute many waterways,
rendering them unfit for human consumption. They also stress aging drinking
water a/id sewage treatment facilities beyond their capacities. In each of the
past few years, wastewater treatment systems dumped an estimated 2.3 trillion
gallons of inadequately treated sewage into U.S. coastal waters, destroying
beaches, fisheries, and other marine life.*
We waste water both by practicing bad habits, like leaving the water running
when we brush our teeth, and by using antiquated equipment not built with
water conservation in mind. Bad habits can be difficult to change, but new ones
can save thousands of gallons of water per year per person. Installing new
water-saving equipment and small devices also can save significant amounts
of water per household without requiring us to change our daily routines. Many
devices are inexpensive, available in local hardware stores, and easy to install.
They can save energy (and energy bills) too! By following a few simple steps,
a typical family of four can save an astounding 50,000 to 100,000 gallons of
water per year. What are we waiting for?
For Every Room in the House
• Repair leaky faucets, indoors and out. One leaky faucet can use up to
4,000 gallons of water per month.
• Install faucet aerators. These inexpensive devices can reduce water use
up to 60 percent, while maintaining a strong flow.
In the Kitchen
• When cooking, save 10 to 15 gallons of water per meal by peeling and clean-
ing vegetables in a large bowl of water instead of under the running tap.
• When handwashing dishes, save 15 gallons of water by soaking dirty
dishes in the basin, then rinsing them off.
• Run full-load dishwashers to save 15 gallons per load and hot water costs, too.
• When buying a new dishwasher, select one with a "light-wash" option.
Newer models use 20 percent less water than older ones.
'Congress of the United States. Office of Technology Assessment, 1987. Waste in the Marine
Environment, Washington, D.C.
Printed on Recycled Paper
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In the Bathroom
• Take short showers instead of baths. Showers use an average of 5 to 7
gallons per minute, three times less than the water used to take a bath.
• Install a low-flow showerhead. This will cut water use in the shower to just
3 gallons per minute and still provide an invigorating flow.
• Turn off the water to brush teeth, shave, and soap up in the shower. Filling
the sink to shave uses only 1 gallon, while letting the water run can use 10
gallons per shave or more. Turning off the water when you brush your
teeth can save 4 gallons of water each time.
• Repair leaky toilets to save more than 50 gallons of water per day. Add 12 drops
of food coloring into the tank. If color appears in the bowl one hour later, the unit
is leaking.
• Install a toilet displacement device to save thousands of gallons of water
per year or 5 to 7 gallons per flush. Place one to three weighted plastic
jugs into the tank, making sure the jugs donl interfere with the flushing
mechanism or a suitable flow. Or, instead of jugs, use toilet dams that hold
back a reservoir of water during each flush, saving 1 to 2 gallons. Don't
use bricks because they can chip and foul the flushing mechanism.
• When buying a new toilet, select a low-flush model that uses less than 1 -1/2
gallons of water to flush, saving over 7,000 gallons per year per person.
On Wash Day
• When purchasing a new washing machine, buy a water-saving model that
can be adjusted to load-size and has a "suds-saving" option. New models
use 40 percent less water than older models.
• For old and new machines, run full loads only.
Taking Water Conservation Outdoors
• Mow your lawn with water retention in mind. Set mower blades on a high
setting (2- to 3-inch grass length as opposed to golf-course short) to pro-
vide natural ground shade and promote water retention by the soil.
• Water lawn and garden in the morning when evaporation is lowest.
• Water no more than 1 inch per week, applied slowly to prevent runoff.
Place several empty cans around the yard when watering to determine
how long it will take to water 1 inch.
• Collect rainwater for watering plants using a barrel covered with a screen.
• Plant indigenous species suited to your area and save as much as 54 per-
cent of the water used to care for outdoor plants. Ask your local nursery for
plant and grass species that require less water.
• When washing your car, turn off the hose between rinses to save up to 150
gallons per washing.
Sweep down decks and driveways instead of hosing them down.
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