2 Important Ways to Conserve Water in the Bathroom
Although some 70 percent of the world is water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, this vital resource is not infinite. That's why it is important to conserve and not take advantage of it. The EPA also noted that the average American family uses 400 gallons of water every day. Seventy percent of this water is used indoors, with the bathroom being the biggest culprit.
To help improve conservation, consider these two important water-saving techniques:
Don't leave the faucet running
It's common to keep the bathroom faucet running while brushing your teeth, however, you're wasting about 2 gallons of water each time you do. Whenever you're brushing those pearly whites, turn the tap off - this can save more than 200 gallons of water a month!
If you notice a constant drip coming from your faucets, it's most likely time to replace your washers. If water is streaming out at the rate of one drop per second, you can potentially waste approximately 2,700 gallons a year. Not only will this contribute to water waste, but it will also strain your septic system, and your bills will start to skyrocket.
Update your toilets and showerheads
The EPA found that standard toilets use up to 1.6 gallons of water per flush, and older toilets use as many as 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. Updating to a more efficient appliance, can save you and your family up to 60 percent of water by only using 1.28 gallons per flush. Another water-saving tip is to check for leaks, seeing as a running toilet can waste about 200 gallons a day. If you aren't trained on how to spot a toilet leak, contact your local Roto-Rooter professional to seek advice on this topic.
As far as showerheads, the standard appliance uses about 2.5 gallons of water a minute, in addition to using energy to heat it up. By switching to an efficient, water-saving showerhead (and shortening the amount of time you actually spend in the shower) the average family can save up to 2,900 gallons of water over a span of 13 days.
For more information about making the switch to water efficient appliances, visit the EPA to learn more about the WaterSense partnership program.
To repair all your cracked and leaky pipes, contact your local Roto-Rooter professional to help conserve water today.