On average, Americans use approximately 125 gallons of water per person per day, according to the University of Maryland. More of the water used indoors is used in the bathroom than in any other room of the house. Therefore, the bathroom an ideal place to try to conserve water.
Stop Leaks
Stopping leaks in the toilet, sink and bathtub or shower can save a considerable amount of water. According to the Environment Site, a leaking faucet can waste 20 gallons of water per day, and a leaking toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day. In the sink and bathtub, watch for drips of water coming from the faucet when the water is off. To check the toilet, place a dark-colored food dye in the back of the toilet tank. If the toilet is leaking, the color will appear in the toilet bowl after 15 minutes. If you can't fix the leaks yourself, contact a plumber.
Turn Water Off
When brushing your teeth, shaving or lathering up, turn off the water. Leaving the water running in the sink during these times can waste approximately five gallons of water per activity, states the University of Maryland. You can also turn off the water in the shower when lathering up or washing your hair to save even more water.
Install Efficient Fixtures
Water-efficient fixtures such as faucet aerators, low-flow toilets and low-flow nozzles will help to save water in the bathroom. Low-flow toilets, for example, use only 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Toilets that were made before 1992---when low-flow toilets became mandatory---use 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush, notes the Utah Division of Water Resources. Faucets with aerators use approximately 40 percent less water than those without an aerator. A low-flow nozzle on the showerhead reduces water usage from 5 gallons per minute to 2.5 gallons per minute.
Bathe Conservatively
An average full bath takes approximately 40 gallons of water, states the Town of Cary, North Carolina. If you take a bath, stop the drain before you run any water to avoid water going down the drain unnecessarily, and fill the tub up one-third of the way instead of all the way. When you are done bathing, use bathwater to water plants or clean items such as shoes or the car.
Shorten Showers
If you reduce the time that you have the water in the shower by one minute, you can save 1,000 gallons of water a year, according to the Town of Cary, North Carolina. Use a showerhead with a cutoff valve so you can turn the water off without having to adjust the water temperature again when you are ready to use water. These fixtures makes it easier to turn the water off when you are shampooing or soaping up.
Member Comments
lauren041 June 9
The fact that a single toilet leak can waste 200 gallons of water per day is true! Toilet leaks often go undetected because they are cannot be seen or heard. Dye tablets are an after the fact test that do not detect a toilet that is leaking intermittently. I just bought the LeakAlertor, a tool that automatically detects toilet leaks & took me less than 10 seconds to install. It notifies you of a leak with visual and audible alerts. www.leakalertor.com