15 Ways to Conserve Water in Your Daily Life

There are a number of ways to save water in the bathroom without any effort on your part. Dual-flush toilets, for example, allow you to control the amount of water you use each flush. Installing a low-flow showerhead gives you the chance to save water without even changing your habits. When replacing elements in your bathroom, look for low-flow or water-saving options.

Ready to upgrade your bathroom? Learn how to remodel your bathroom from top to bottom.

About 25% of all home water use is in your laundry room. You can lower your water bill by waiting until you have a full load to run your washing machine. The same principle can be applied to your dishwasher – fewer loads mean less water used. Something else to keep in mind is that most modern dishwashers don’t require dishes be “pre-cleaned” before a cycle. Save some water and precious time by skipping the pre-clean.

If you want a more permanent, effortless solution, you can upgrade these appliances to an energy-efficient model and save water at home without even thinking about it.

Changing your morning routine can help you lower your water bill as well. Many people leave the water running while either shaving or brushing their teeth. A vast majority of that water ends up wasted down the drain, which can easily amount to 3 gallons of water a day or more. Follow the simple rule of only running the faucet when you need the water.

While working in the kitchen, if the faucet doesn’t have to be on, turn it off. Fill the sink itself or a plastic basin to wash dishes or rinse fruit and vegetables to limit the amount of water you’re using. The water used for fruits and vegetables can also be reused to water household plants or your garden. Another way to save water in the kitchen is to limit your garbage disposal use and compost your food waste instead.

While treating yourself to a long, relaxing shower every once in a while is nice, you can save a lot of water by limiting your everyday showers to less than five minutes. If you’re looking to conserve more water and keep your bill low, you can even turn off the water as you lather up, and turn it back on to rinse the soap and shampoo off.

That slow drip from your bathroom faucet isn’t just annoying - it’s wasteful as well. With small amounts of water running constantly, those drips end up sending a lot of water down your drain. Keeping an eye out for and fixing these leaks early will save you a lot in the long run. Catching leaks early will avoid costly flood damage cleanup if your pipes burst. Make it a point to check your pipes and water fixtures often. And if you have to update any features to fix a leak, look into water-saving models.

Outside your home, you can save a lot of water by “dry cleaning” as much as you can. Consider using a broom to clean off your driveway, patio, sidewalk or deck instead of a hose or power washer. When washing your car, fill a bucket with soap and water to clean your car and only use the hose to rinse it off. You can also take your car to a carwash that recycles its water. That will not only lower your water bill, but will also keep the soap from washing into your grass and down the sewer drain.

It should come as no surprise that watering your lawn and garden accounts for a lot of water use in your home. Water in the morning or evening when it’s cool so less water is lost to evaporation. If you are using sprinklers, adjust them to avoid watering hard surfaces like the roof or driveway. If you’re watering manually with a hose, install a sprayer or other shut-off valve on the end of the hose so water isn’t running constantly and you are only putting water where it needs to go.

Another great way to save water outdoors is to install a rain barrel for your lawn, garden or indoor plants. Collecting water from the rain not only lowers your water bill, but allows you to repurpose natural water.

Native plants require less watering and will thrive in your yard with less maintenance. Use mulch in your landscaping, especially around your plants. The mulch will not only make it look better, but will hold a lot of moisture, so when you do water your plants, you won’t need quite as much.

If you want to give your green thumb a test, read about other ways to make your garden more sustainable.

While fountains or ponds in your landscaping can add a nice visual touch, it can also waste a lot of water. If you must use a water feature, get one that will recycle water. Placing it in a shady area and turning it off on hot summer days is also good practice to conserve water.

While many public places have drinking fountains, these tend to waste water as much of it drains back into the fountain. Bringing a bottle with you ensures that your drinking water is not wasted, but rather saved for later. Choose a reusable water bottle to limit plastic waste.

When using a public shower at the gym, pool or beach, follow the same guidelines you would when showering at home. Keep it short and sweet, as if you’re paying for the water. If you plan to visit the beach, you can always use a towel to get the sand off your feet instead of running water.

While you certainly don’t want to cut corners while washing your hands, especially in public places, you can still be aware of how much water you are using. Get your hands wet, then turn off the faucet while lathering up the soap. It’s a simple as taking your hands away from the faucet when scrubbing, and only turning the water back on when rinsing.

Keep an eye out for water running where it shouldn’t be. If you see a faucet, fire hydrant or any other feature that is leaking water, report it to the owner of the facility or the department of public works. Leaks like this can quickly waste a lot of water. For example, if you notice the faucet in the bathroom of a restaurant is leaking, let the management know so they can address it. If enough people stay vigilant, a real difference can be made.