Conserving Water Indoors Page: 2
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ToilP Toilets are by far the main source of water
use in the home, accounting for approximately 30
percent of indoor water use. They also happen to be
a major source of leaks and/or inefficiency. Under
state and federal law, toilets must not exceed 1.6
gallons per flush. High-efficiency toilets (HETs) go
beyond that standard and use less than 1.3 gallons
per flush.
Over the course of your lifetime, you will likely
flush the toilet nearly 140,000 times. If you install
a high-efficiency toilet, you can save 4,000 gallons
per year.
Many local utilities offer rebates to replace old
toilets.
Toilets are the single largest water user in a home.
A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per
day, and it is estimated that nearly 20 percent of all
toilets leak.
To determine if the toilet is leaking, take these steps:
Remove the tank lid after the tank has stopped
filling.
Check for a visible leak or to hear water running.
To find other, less obvious leaks, perform the
following test:
Mix a few drops of food coloring or place a
dye capsule or tablet (available from home
improvement centers and many utilities) into the
water in the toilet tank.
Do not flush the toilet.
Wait about 10 minutes and if the dye appears in
the toilet bowl, the toilet has a silent leak.Check toilet parts regularly. Replace worn parts with
good quality parts as necessary, and retest to make
sure the leak has been fixed.
Average indoor water use in
conserving versus nonconserving
single-family homes in North AmericaToilets
Showers
Faucets
Baths
Dishwasher
Clothes
Washer
Leaks
Other
Domestic0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Gallons per capita per day
nonconserving home
conserving home
The average indoor use in a conserving
North American single-family home is 45.2 gallons
per capita per day, and in a nonconserving home
it is 69.3 gallons per capita per day.
Source: Handbook of Water Use and Conservation, 2001.Take shorter showers. A 5-minute shower
uses only 10-25 gallons. A full bathtub, however,
can require up to 70 gallons of water.
Installing a water efficient showerhead is one of the
single most effective water-saving steps you can take
inside your home.
Installing faucet aerators on sinks is a simple,
cost-effective way to save water. The faucet's
efficiency can double without sacrificing
performance. Aerators are inexpensive and do not
require special adapters.
Faucet leaks are usually caused by worn washers
or "0" rings (for a washerless faucet), which are
inexpensive and easily replaced. Note the faucet
brand and take the original part with you to a home
improvement center.
'- When buying a washer, look
for a high-efficiency model that has adjustable
water levels for different load sizes. High-efficiency
washers use 35 to 55 percent less water and 50
percent less energy. They also require less detergent,
rinse more thoroughly, are less abrasive on clothes,
and can fit larger capacity loads in the same size
drum.
High-efficiency dishwashers use a
maximum of 7 gallons per load, but some use as
little as 4.5 gallons. Replacing an older model with
a water-efficient model could cut dishwasher water
use in half. Look for energy efficiency features to
cut costs even more.Leaks could account for 10 percent or more of your
water bill and waste both water and energy.
The water meter can be used to check for invisible or
unnoticed leaks.
Turn off all faucets and water-using appliances.
Read the dial on the water meter and record the
reading. (It is often located along the property line
near the street.)
Recheck the meter after 15 to 20 minutes.
If no water has been used and the reading has
changed, a leak is occurring somewhere in the
plumbing system. The services of a plumber or
trained water utility employee are often required to
locate and fix these invisible leaks.
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Texas Water Development Board. Conserving Water Indoors, pamphlet, October 2012; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth542066/m1/2/?rotate=90: accessed June 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.