Extreme drought has become a common problem throughout the western United States, and Fort Worth is no exception. As we enter into the hottest part of the season, many homeowners are curious about what they can do to help mitigate drought conditions and save on their energy bills. Check out the following information to uncover what common habits your family has that may be wasting a significant amount of water.
Kick These 5 Wasteful Water Habits
Leaving the Tap Running While Brushing Your Teeth or Shaving
Keeping your faucet on during your bathroom routine is one of the most common habits, especially in families with young children. Eight gallons of water are wasted every day from leaving the tap on while brushing your teeth and ten gallons are wasted each time you shave. Brushing daily and shaving five times per week means you are wasting almost 5,700 gallons every year.
Keeping the Faucet on While Washing Dishes
In the kitchen, the most common form of wasting water is leaving your faucet on while hand-washing your dishes. Most sinks provide two to five gallons of water per minute, so keeping the water running for as little as two minutes uses the same amount of water that your dishwasher uses to clean an entire load of dishes. On average, people use around 13 gallons of water to hand-wash dishes and leaving the faucet running can waste 10 gallons.
Running the Dishwasher When It Isn’t Full
Most new dishwashers are incredibly energy-efficient, using only four to six gallons of water to run a cycle. However, you have to load the unit completely to gain energy savings. Running your dishwasher at only half capacity adds up to an extra load each week, or almost 320 gallons of water each year.
Failing to Maintain Irrigation Systems
Watering an average-sized lawn for around 20 minutes every day uses the same amount of water as taking over 800 showers or keeping your shower running non-stop for four days in a row. Experts solution that up to 50% of water used outdoors gets lost from wind, runoff, and evaporation, typically due to an improperly functioning or maintained automatic irrigation system. This can waste 25,000 gallons of water each year.
Neglecting to Fix Leaks Right Away
The average American family wastes approximately 180 gallons of water each week from untreated pipe leaks, adding up to 9,400 gallons every year. Nationwide, household leaks account for almost 900 billion gallons of water waste annually, which is the equivalent of the yearly water usage of 11 million homes!
Keep Your Plumbing System in Optimal Condition
To learn more about what you can do to save water in your home, contact ClearWater Plumber today. Our team of professionals can help you handle any plumbing issues you may face.