Saving Water in the Bathroom

There is so much focus on saving water through irrigation habits, but what if you live in an apartment or have xeriscaping? There are still ways to conserve, check out these tips for conserving water while in the bathroom:

• Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth or shaving. Fill the sink to shave instead of letting the water run.
• Check toilets for leaks. Add about 12 drops of food coloring, or a leak-detection tablet, into the tank. If color appears in the bowl an hour later, then there is a leak.
• Install a toilet displacement device in the toilet tank. Place a plastic bottle, weighted with water or sand, into the tank, making sure that it doesn’t interfere with the flushing mechanism. Don’t use a brick, which may chip.
• If you are buying a new toilet, select a low-flush model that uses less than 1.5 gallons of water per flush.
• Take shorter showers. Install a water-saving showerhead, which can cut water usage in the shower from 5–7 gallons per minute to just 3 gallons per minute.