THREE TIPS TO HELP YOU SAVE WATER THIS SUMMER

Showers are great because they can use much less water per person than baths; however, the longer your shower is, the more water you're using each day, even if you have an efficient showerhead. Practicing taking a shorter shower can save you both time and water.

Try timing your showers to see how long they typically take; then think about your shower routine and see if you can shave a few seconds off here and there. Even just washing your hair with quicker, more efficient movements can help you save water!

If you don't already have modern water-saving showerheads in all your showers, now is the time to fix that. You can install them yourself, and they can be quite cheap to buy, even if you opt for a luxury model. You should also check to make sure you have low-flow aerators on every faucet. These aerators are specially designed to mix in more air with the water so that less waste occurs.

And once you've taken care of the shower and faucets, turn your attention to the toilet. Of course, you can replace your toilet with a more efficient one, but if you don't have the budget for that right now, you can simply install a dual-flush toilet kit. Compared to a new toilet, it is extremely affordable, and it can also reduce the amount of water your toilet uses by nearly half.

If you've noticed that you have to wait more than a few seconds for the shower to get warm in the mornings, you probably feel bad about all that perfectly good water going down the drain. This problem is easy to fix if you have a bathtub. Instead of wasting the water, simply place a bucket under the bathtub spout to catch it until the water gets warm, and then switch the shower on. If you don't have a tub, and the water automatically comes out of the showerhead, you can still use a bucket although the spray may not all land in it.

You can then use the perfectly good water for other purposes like washing laundry or flushing the toilet.

Nearly clean water can be reused as well. Here are a few ways to catch it before it escapes:

These and other tactics can help you become more aware of water use and the possibility of recycling nearly clean water (but be sure you don't drink recycled water or use it for food preparation or dishwashing).

As you can see, examining how you use water can help you develop better water-use habits and decrease not only the amount of water you use but also the amount you waste. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment. Art Douglas Plumbing Inc. stands ready to help you with all your plumbing needs.