According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the average individual uses from eighty to one hundred gallons of water every day. Identifying the top three water-wasting appliances can help you join the movement to reduce water waste in Salt Lake City. If your city or town meters the water, you will save money and the environment by reducing wasted water. In drought areas, it’s especially important to consider your water use.
--Toilets, representing about thirty-two percent;
--Showers, accounting for about twenty percent; and
--Washing machines, using about eighteen percent
In comparison, drinking water and using water for cleaning represent just two percent of the average person’s daily water use!
Outdated Toilets Are a Leader in Water Waste
The average person today isn’t flushing a toilet designed to save water. USGS estimates that an older toilet may use at least four gallons per flush. American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AwwARF) estimates that the average individual flushes five times each day. That’s twenty gallons for most people or eighty gallons for a family of four.
Checking each toilet for leaks is critical. For those with older toilets, it’s possible to adjust the tank water level to avoid refilling at default levels, but why not install new toilets? A water-efficient toilets uses less than two gallons per flush, an automatic water savings of fifty percent.
Your Shower or Bathtub Could Be More Efficient
For some, taking a bath instead of a shower can save quite a lot of water. An average bath uses about thirty-six gallons. In comparison, an older shower delivers about five gallons of water a minute. A longer shower, about eight minutes, will use forty gallons. If you take more than one shower a day, keep it short!
A newer shower appliance will reduce water use to about two gallon a minute. If you love taking a shower, consider taking a shorter shower, installing a newer low flow shower head, or both. It's also kind to the environment to take a sponge bath every so often instead of a bath or shower.
Your Washing Machine is Another Water Guzzler
Despite the belief that many washing machines never wear out, it's important to consider replacing yours before it reaches the end of an average fourteen year life. Older models may use forty gallons a load. A newer EnergyStar model saves both water--using about twenty-five gallons per load--and electricity. When possible, select the shortest cycle to save water and money.
Now more than ever, conservation doesn’t require a lifestyle change! Call the professionals of Valley Plumbing & Drain Cleaning at 801-341-4222 to see how easy it is to conserve water in your Salt Lake City, UT home.
