Water Saving Ideas Listed on the Water Wheel

• Kitchen Sink – Handwash efficiently – Scrape dishes and rinse all at once. Soak pots and pans overnight if very dirty. Cut down on cleanup by serving single pan meals – Medium
• Kitchen Sink – Defrost without water – Plan ahead to thaw frozen foods and ice trays in the refrigerator when possible. If necessary to force thaw food, place in bowl of cold water – Small
• Kitchen Sink – Clean vegetables and fruit efficiently – Use vegetable brush for fruits and vegetables. If you have a hand sprayer, use it sparingly with short bursts of water. Install low kitchen consumption (2.2gpm) faucet aerators – Small
• Household Cleaning – Use less water – Use least possible soap or cleaning agent. To cut down on rinse water, presoak – Small
• Garbage Grinders – Use as little as possible – Collect food waste for starting a compost pile. Compost at the base of trees and shrubs can help retain water and provide nutrients. If using the grinder, use recycled water – Small
• Driveway or Street – Wash car sensibly – Wash in sections, rise with short spurts from hose. If you need to wash often, use a car wash that recycles water. (Many of them do.) Try to wash car near hedges, shrubs, for "a free drink" – Large
• Drinking Water – Promote water conservation at the table. Don’t let waiter bring water unless you request it. Discourage automatic refilling of empty water glass. Use a durable cup at drinking fountains to avoid water and paper or plastic waste – Small
• Drinking Water – Keep bottle of drinking water in refrigerator. Don’t run tap water for cold water without collecting for other nonconsumptive uses. Make only the amount of coffee or tea you are going to drink. Use ice cubs to cool water. Recycle lefover drinking water – Small
• Dishwasher – Use it efficiently. Scrape dishes off. Soak pots and pans overnight if necessary. Wash only full loads. Experiment to discover least possible detergent necessary to cut down on suds residue – Medium
• Backyard Pool – Prevent evaporation and splashing. Cover when not in use to prevent evaporation (and accidents!) and to keep clean. Don’t fill up high-water splashes easily Recycle wading water for plants, shrubs, lawns – Large
• Lawn, Garden – Practice water-saving horticulture. Let grass grow higher in dry weather. Use drip irrigation systems and water times. Try re-landscaping with low water plants and succulents. Use mulch – Large
• Lawn, Garden – Make every watering count – Water slowly, thoroughly and as infrequently as possible. Best time to water is very early in the morning to minimize evaporation. Aerate lawn, use drip irrigation systems and water timers – Large
• Washing Machine – Wash efficiently – Use load selector for large or small loads if there is one. Otherwise, wash only full loads. Use cold water. You won’t save water, but you will save energy and money. Try using less detergent –Large
• Toilet – Install low flow toilets – Remodel with low consumption toilet (1.6 gal/flush or less). - Large
• Toilet – Repair leaks – Add a few drops of food coloring to water in tank. If coloring appears in toilet without flushing, there is a leak. Also, listen for sound of running water or pump. Remodel with low consumption (1.6 gal/flush or less) toilets – Medium
• Toilet – Flush less often – Flush only feces, urine and toilet paper, no other waste. Flush only if necessary; solids remaining in the bowl may be offensive, urine is not.
  Remodel with low consumption (1.6 gal/flush or less) toilets. - Large
• Shower – Shorter, lighter showers – Turn off water while soaping up. See how light a spray you can wash with. It is not necessary to shower longer than 5 minutes. Remodel with low consumption (2.5 gpm) showerheads – Large
• Pipes – Insulate hot water pipes – Water is wasted if you turn on hot water tap and wait for hot water to "come up". To reduce waste, wrap hot water pipes with insulating material. Make sure faucets are turned off when not in use- Medium
• Faucets – Repair leaks – Check all faucets, including outside hose connections for leaks. Replace work washer, o-rings, packing and faulty fixtures. A periodic "leak check" (at least twice a year) should be conducted on all faucets from cellar to attic – Medium
• Bathtub – Don’t waste cold water – Stopper tub before turning on water. Initial cold water can be warmed by adding hot water later. Small kids can go in together. Consider recycling bathwater (if not too dirty) for heavy cleaning jobs – Medium
• Bathtub – Don’t overfill tub – A full tub holds up to 50 gallons. You can bathe adequately with one quarter as much. Clean tub while you are in it. Mark height of water with tape during bath. Next time, take shower with tub stopped and compare water level.
• Bathroom Sink – Shave & brush teeth the water saving way – Quickly rinse shaving razor. Use an electric razor; it uses energy but it saves water, soap, laundry and blades. For teeth, use a cup to rinse. Remodel with low consumption (0.5gpm) faucet aerators – Small
• Utility Sink – Hand wash efficiently – Soak well with smallest possible quantity of low sudsing detergent. Save rinse water for next wash. Just add soap. Presoak very dirty items overnight. Remodel with low consumption (0.5 gpm) faucet aerators. - Large
• Washing Machine – Buy a water saver – When you buy a new machine, select the one that uses the least water per pound of wash. Get a suds-saver attachment. Be sure to check energy consumption – buy machine which uses less water and energy – Large