Water & Sewer Department
* The third highest use of indoor water is bathing. Since most of us use warm water to bathe, it is also the second highest use of energy in the home. Place a gallon bucket under your showerhead. If it takes less that 20 seconds to fill, you need to install a water-efficient showerhead with a flow rate of less than 2.5 gallons per minute.
* Aerators installed on kitchen and bathroom faucets reduce indoor water usage as much as 4%.
* Turning off the faucet while shaving or brushing your teeth can save five gallons of water a day.
* Wash only full loads of laundry or adjust the water level for the load size.
* If fixtures in your house were installed before 1980, they are not water-saving devices and you should consider replacing them.
* If you wash dishes by hand, rinse them in a sink of water rather than under a running faucet.
* The most common source of leaks is in the toilet and most houses have more than one. Check for a leak by placing a few drops of food coloring in the tank. Wait 15 minutes and see if the colored water appears in the toilet bowl. If so, you have a leak and probably need to replace the rubber flapper in the tank.
How much water is used to flush a toilet? 2-7 gallons
How much water is used in the average five-minute shower? 25-50 gallons
How much water is used to brush your teeth? 2 gallons
How much water is used on the average for an automatic dishwasher? 9-12 gallons
On the average, how much water is used to hand wash dishes? 20 gallons