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Editor's Notes

• #4: Nearly 80% of the earth’s surface is covered with water and you are 66% water. Even the trees that surround you are primarily water.
• #5: How much water do you think you use?
• #6: Every consumer should have an idea of how much water they use. A good way to calculate your water use is to add up the number of times your activities use water. For example, how many showers do you take a day and how often do you flush the toilet? Estimate your family’s water use.
• #7: Today we will talk about 5 easy ways you can reduce the amount of water you use in your home. By reducing your water consumption you also save money on your water bill.
• #8: The same thing is true for washing full loads of dishes in the dishwasher and the newer machines use about half the amount of water as the older models. One of the greatest water wasters with dishes is pre-rinsing or washing dishes prior to putting them in the dishwasher. A dishwasher is designed to clean dirty dishes. The appliance manufacturers recommend scraping dishes rather than pre-rinsing prior to putting them in the dishwasher. Most dishwashers will clean the dishes without pre-rinsing. The only time you may need to do that is when the dishes are washed only once a week or so. In this case, it may make sense to wash the dishes in a sink filled with water.
• #9: In many communities you can’t reuse water that has soap or detergents in it. This is referred to as “gray water.” Before reusing water, contact your local health department or city or county water office.
• #10: The third tip is to Take shorter showers. Many people spend 10 minutes in the shower at least once if not twice a day. A good way to save water is to cut your shower time in half or take what is often called a “navy shower.” A navy shower is when you wet down, turn the water off, lather up and then turn the water back on to rinse off. To control the temperature you can install a toggle switch that cuts the flow of water at the nozzle. Depending on the flow rate of your showerhead, you can save up to 80 gallons. Most showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute. If you like to take a bath, you should fill the tub about 1/3 full or with 5 inches of water.
• #11: The fourth tip is Eliminate the leaks in your house. The average consumer loses 9.5 gallons a day through leaking faucets and toilets. Just one dripping faucet wastes 9.5 gallons in a day. If you also have toilet leak, you are wasting even more water. Be sure to turn faucets off to reduce leak problems, but don’t turn the handles too tight because you can damage the hardware. It is easy to see if your toilet is leaking. Put a few drops of food coloring or instant coffee in the toilet tank. Leave it for 30 minutes. If you see any color in the toilet bowl then there is a leak. You may just need to replace the flushing mechanism. This is a quick low cost fix to what can be a very costly problem.
• #12: You should also reduce the flow of water from your showerhead. The average showerhead uses 2.5 gallons of water a minute. A low-flow showerhead can easily reduce the flow to 1.5 gallons per minute. If you don’t know how much water your shower uses, you can measure the flow rate per minute with a bucket. You could hold the bucket under the showerhead for one minute, but it is easier to check the flow for 30 seconds and multiply by two to get the per minute flow.
• #13: Keeping the 5 easy water saving tips in mind, here are some easy low-cost and no-cost ways you can start saving water today. 1. Stop using the toilet as a trash can. Remember that every time you flush you use from 2 to 8 gallons of water. Just toss it in the trash can. 2. Cut your shower time in half. 3. If you like to take a bath, consider a 5 minute shower instead or reduce the water level in the tub.
• #14: Changing your brushing and shaving habits can also save water. The best way is to turn the water on and off. However, you can shave or brush your teeth in the shower. NOTE: A woman may save more water by not shaving her legs in the shower. An electric shaver could be an option for some men and women.