Finding ways to save water will not only cut down on your monthly water bill, but will be a boost to the environment as you conserve one of Earth’s most valuable resources. Here are some ideas from realsimple.com:
Install a Low-Flow Showerhead
Why it’s worth the effort: Low-flow showerheads cut water use in half. If you take a five-minute shower using this type of showerhead, the showerhead would save enough water in a year to fill a 15-foot aboveground pool. Plus, you save all the energy that would have gone into heating the shower water.
Your one-year effect: 4,550 gallons of water saved.
The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: Enough water to fill about 2,100 Giants Stadiums.
Buy Recycled-Paper Products
Why it’s worth the effort: Products made from 100 percent recycled paper require much less water in their manufacturing than do those made from virgin paper. If your family goes through four rolls of paper towels a week, choosing recycled reduces waste significantly.
Your one-year effect: 637 gallons of water saved.
The effect if every household in the U.S. did it for one year: More than the amount of water that cascades over Niagara Falls in a day.
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Water Your Lawn in the Early Morning or Evening
Why it’s worth the effort: If you irrigate in the middle of the day, evaporation prevents 14 percent of the water from reaching the plants’ roots. Watering the lawn in the early morning or evening can save the typical home owner 87 gallons a week.
Your one-year effect: 4,524 gallons of water saved.
The effect if every household in the U.S. did it for one year: Equal to nine times the annual rainfall in Seattle.
Water Your Lawn With a Hose, Not a Sprinkler
Why it’s worth the effort: The average single-family home pours at least 25,000 gallons of water a year on the lawn-more than double the amount used inside. People are smarter than automatic sprinklers: Watering with a hose is at least twice as efficient.
Your one-year effect: 12,500 gallons of water saved.
The effect if every household in the U.S. did it for one year: Equal to the volume of water in Shasta Lake, in Northern California.
Eat One More Vegetarian Meal a Week
Why it’s worth the effort: It takes a lot of water to grow the grain to feed the cow that ultimately produces a hamburger. Replacing just four ounces of beef in your diet a week with a vegetarian option can save more than 3,000 gallons of water.
Your one-year effect: 171,704 gallons of water saved.
The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: More than twice the volume of water in the Chesapeake Bay.
