Save Water, Save Money. Here’s How…

Water costs money, almost 1 cent per gallon!

While the cost of water on a per gallon basis varies throughout the country, we tell our clients to use 1 cent per gallon as a good “rule of thumb” when it comes to water cost.  It also makes it easier to estimate how much money you save when you make some of these simple, affordable changes to your home or business plumbing system or even your daily routine:

• Don’t run the water while shaving or brushing your teeth.  Most old faucets use 3.5 gallons per minute (That equals 3.5 cents per minute!!), compared to newer models that use 1.5 GPM, saving you 2 cents per minute!!  If you like your current faucet, try replacing the aerator with a 1.5 GPM aerator or even a 0.5 GPM, that won’t cost much money by will save you at least 2 cents per minute compared to a 3.5 GPM aerator.
• Take a shower instead of a bath.  A bath uses significantly more water than a shower, almost 3 times more water than taking a shower.   Replacing your old shower head with a new, low flow model will cut water usage too.  Some low flow heads use just 1.5 gallon of water per minute, that’s way less than older models that use 2.5 to 5.0 gallons per minute.  (Remember at 1 cent per gallon, you could be saving 2.5 cents to 5 cents PER MINUTE!!)
• Only do laundry when you have a full load.  Washing full loads will give you the lowest overall water cost to do laundry.  That assumes you still have an old top loading machine and not a new water sensing washing machine.  If you must do small loads, be sure to adjust the water setting so the machine does not fill up completely with water, every gallon less saves you 1 cent.
• Consider replacing old toilets.  Toilets made after 1993 use only 1.6 gallons per minute compared to older toilets that use 3.5 gallons per flush.  A new toilet can save  you almost 2 cents per flush.  Some old toilets can be retrofitted with a new flush valve without having to replace the toilet, check with the toilet manufacturer for details.
• Stop any water leaks TODAY.  Most homes have a least one leak somewhere, the sooner you stop any leaks the sooner you’ll be saving money.  Toilets that flush on their own or make occasional sounds are leaking, a simple flapper valve replacement can stop the leak and save you money.

Remember, at almost 1 cent per gallon when you save water, you save money too; is just plan smart financially and it’s good for the planet.

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