Tips to help save water

FALLBROOK – There are many ways to reduce the amount of water used in a household and on a property.

While many water-saving efforts often are focused outdoors because so much water is used for landscapes, there are several low-cost ways to save water indoors.

The collective impact is substantial when hundreds of thousands of people do their part.

• Trim a minute or two off showers and collect water in a bucket for plants while it’s warming up. Saves 2.5 gallons per minute.
• Program dishwashers to skip pre-rinse and extra-rinse cycles. Saves 2 to 4 gallons per load.
• Don’t leave the water running while washing or rinsing dishes by hand. Saves 2.2 gallons per minute.
• Soak pans in water rather than running water over them while you scrape them clean.
• Designate one cup for drinking water each day to reduce the number of dishes needing to be washed
• Use ice cubes that you accidentally drop and left over cooking water for house plants
• Fill a bowl with water to rinse fruits and vegetables, then water plants with it
• Do not defrost food with running water, place it in the refrigerator
• Avoid using the garbage disposal. Scrape food into the trash (or compost bin) and use a metal drain strain to catch food waste before it goes down the drain.
• Wash only full loads of laundry. Saves at least 15 gallons per load.
• Fix leaky toilets. Saves 30 to 50 gallons per day.
• Fix leaky faucets. Saves 15 to 20 gallons per day.
• Install aerators with flow restrictors on faucets. Saves more than 4 gallons per day.

For information on rebates and more water-saving tips, visit http://www.WaterSmartSD.org.