Published: October 17, 2009 11:40 pm         

Control water usage to save money

Can you hear the faucet going drip, drip? Imagine your money dripping right down the drain.

Water is something so readily available to us we often take it for granted. Conserving our water not only is important to this world we live in but also is important to our pocketbooks. Here are a few tips to help you conserve water and save money.

First, form a new habit of turning the water off whenever not in direct use. As you brush your teeth or as you shave, often it is easy to keep the water running; however, it is important to turn off the water until you need it again. Next, take a shower rather than a bath. If you want to test out how much water you use when you shower verses when you take a bath, try this little test: plug the tub drain when you shower and see how far the bath tub fills up. Then, fix any leaks immediately. A leak of one drip per minute costs $1 per month.

Another easy but helpful tip is to install a low-flow showerhead. A low-flow showerhead can use about six gallons less water a minute than a conventional showerhead. Finally, installing a new low-flow aerator on your faucets will help to control the amount of water used per minute. A flow rate of no more than 1 gallon per minute is ideal.

What about water use when it comes to appliances, for example, washing machines and dishwashers? How could money be saved and water conserved in these areas? There are a couple of rules that apply for both of these appliances.

First, if you are in the market for a new appliance, always look for one that is Energy Star approved. This Energy Star label guarantees they are more energy efficient than the others. In general, when it comes to washing machines, front loaders tend to be much more energy efficient than top-loaders, although costly in the beginning.

Secondly, always run these appliances when they are full so you get the most out of the water you are using. If you have to do a small load in the washing machine, make sure you adjust the settings for a smaller load. If you tend to wash dishes several times a day, using your dishwasher effectively (when it is full) will most likely save you money. Also using the air-dry setting saves you some extra energy.

Water is an important resource that affects many areas of our lives. It is important we become more aware of how we use and abuse this resource. This awareness helps us spend our money wisely, which is important during these times we live in. Hopefully, once we see the difference conserving water makes in our home, we will be jumping to find out what other areas we can conserve in as well. The possibilities are endless.



Martinez is weatherization educator for Community Development Support Association.