Water Conservation in the Home

SAVE WATER IN THE BATHROOM

Check your toilet for leaks.

• Take off the toilet tank cover and add 10 drops of food coloring to the water in the tank. Wait 15 minutes then check for color in the toilet bowl. Any color in the bowl indicates a leak which should be fixed immediately. Remember also to check the flapper periodically to make sure it has a tight fit.

A leaking toilet can waste 15 gallons of water a day.

Check the water level in the toilet tank.

• The fill line in the tank should be about 1/2 in ch below the overflow tube.

Water spilling over this line can waste hundreds of gallons each day.

Do not use your toilet as a wastebasket.

• Drop tissues and other trash in the wastebasket and save the water you would use with each flush.

Each flush of a standard toilet uses 3.5 to 7 gallons.

Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.

• Wet your brush then turn off the water while brushing. Rinse briefly when finished. You will save more than 9 gallons of water each time you brush.

Leaving the water running can use 10 gallons of water each time you brush.

Take shorter showers or take a bath if you want a long soak.

• Shorter showers save water and energy. Note that some new tubs can hold up to 50 gallons.

A 10-minute shower can use up to 70 gallons. A full standard size tub uses about 20 gallons.

Fix dripping or leaking faucets.

• Fix drips and leaks immediately. Often the fix is as simple as a new washer.

A faucet that drips 1 time each second will waste almost 9 gallons per day (over 3000 gallons per year).

Install water saving shower heads, faucets, and toilets.

• Water saving shower heads use 2.5 gallons per minuet or less. You also save in energy cost by using less hot water. These shower heads are available at most hardware stores and are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.

Save 25 to 50 gallons of water during a 10 minute shower.

• Low flow toilets (required in all new construction) use 1.6 gallons per flush.

This saves 2 to 5 gallons per flush complare to an older toilet.

• Faucet aerators can be attached to most existing faucets and use 1.5 gallons per minute.

Aerators can save 1 to 5 gallons per minute compared to older faucets.

Information compiled by Sandra Head, FCS Agent, NC Cooperative Extention-Wayne County

NC GreenPower

NC GreenPower offers cleaner energy options for consumers in North Carolina. This voluntary program allows consumers to help utility companies replace electricity from traditional sources, such as fossil fuels, with electrcity generated from renewable sources such as the sun, wind, and organic matter. Renewable energy sources produce little or no pollution and much less environmental impact than traditional sources.



NC GreenPower's typical consumer contribution of $4 per month adds 100 kilowatt hours of green energy to the state's power supply and is tax deductible. NC GreenPower is a nonprofit organization supported by the state's utilities and administered by an independent nonprofit organization in Raleigh. Contact your local utility company to participate in the program or contact NC GreenPower, 866-533-NCGP or http://www.ncgreenpower.org/.