It seems like utility bills are a rising tide these days. Is it time to build an ark? Maybe. In the meantime though, there are ways to reduce your water bill that are more cost-effective than buying a lumberyard and wrangling pairs of animals.
As an added bonus, the tree-huggers in all of us will love to know they are helping the environment by conserving water, right? The benefits to the environment may not be as obvious a connection as, say, saving trees by going paperless. In a nutshell, the less water we use, the less environmental disruption we cause. Providing fresh water to so many people requires lots of digging, boring, and pumping, as well as chemicals to treat the water. As a double whammy, all the wastewater that leaves our homes and businesses has to be processed and treated again! There is a lot of energy used in the whole in-and-out process. That brings us back around to our original point: cost. Energy costs money, so using more water makes our water cost more!
Water Conservation Methods
Let's get into the helpful part of the article, eh? How do we reduce usage and shrink that bill?
Step one: Use less water.
No-brainer, right? Well, its still worth mentioning. Shorter showers, filling your dishwasher for fewer loads, running your washer on a lower water level setting when you can, not flushing the toilet more than needed, etc. All ways to use less water that are easy, free, and will save green.
Step two: Increase water efficiency.
Nowadays most plumbing appliances are built to higher efficiency standards, but some are better than others. Higher efficiency means they get the same job done while using less water. Inexpensive fixtures like shower heads, faucet aerators, and toilet fill valves can often be adjusted or replaced to decrease water usage. Appliances, such as dishwashers, laundry washers, and hot water heaters can be replaced with newer models that can drastically reduce consumption. Most plumbing fixtures in your home (and out in the yard) can shrink your usage when replaced with a newer, more efficient model. Many older toilets use 3 gallons of water every time they flush, whereas many newer ones can use as little as 1.28!
Step three: Decrease waste.
Your plumbing system is a complex one, and when working properly it goes mostly unnoticed. Unfortunately, sometimes it goes unnoticed when working improperly, too. Underground leaks on sprinkler systems and water service lines can waste massive amounts of water. Ever had an $800 water bill? Do you want to? Yeah, me neither. Smaller leaks in the home sometimes seem minor, but can add up. For instance, a faucet that drips once per second wastes over a gallon a day. For those of us that know our calendar math, that's over 365 ¼ gallons per year! Less obvious leaks like a bad flapper valve in your toilet tank can waste even more. Ever hear your toilet kick on and fill in the middle of the night when no one used it? That's most likely a bad flapper. The more you do to reduce waste, the better off you'll be.
Now, some of you DIY-ers and YouTube aficionados will be able to do most of these things on your own, but some things take a bit of experience to figure out. Some things require permits and licenses for safety reasons. Now I'm not your mother, but I still feel its prudent to say, “make sure you are always doing things safely and properly.” Could you feel me shaking my finger when I said that?
What's a website-based blog post without a shameless plug here and there?
Roto-Rooter Plumbers is happy to help with anything you can't do yourself. Heck, we'd help with the stuff you can do yourself, too. With the most experience and unmatched skill, we're here with advice for all your plumbing questions, and solutions for all your plumbing problems.
Happy water-saving!