In The Bathroom
- Don't leave the faucet running when you use the sink. Instead, fill a glass to brush your teeth or partially fill the basin to wash or shave. Turn the water on again to rinse your brush, razor, or washcloth.
- Install a water-saving shower head. Older heads use 5-10 gallons per minute (gpm). All new fixtures use approximately 2.5 gpm and offer equal water coverage and force. Available at the hardware store.
- Install a faucet aerator on the bathroom faucets. Available at the hardware store.
- Many high water consumption problems stem from toilets which slowly leak water because of bad valves, improperly positioned float arms, or defective overflow tubes. Call OWASA at (919) 968-4421, ext. 267 to request free dye tablets, which can be used detect leaky toilets.
- Don't use your toilet as a wastebasket - unnecessary flushing wastes water.
- If you do not already have a water-saving toilet, consider putting a jug filled with water in your toilet tank to take up space. Your tank will fill more quickly and you will use less water per flush
For additional tips on how to conserve water or water quality visit the
Water Environment Federation or
American Water Works Association.