Bathroom: In the past 10 months, 35 models of high-performance, high-efficiency toilets that use less than 1.3 gallons per flush, compared with the standard 1.6gpf, have earned the EPA’s WaterSense seal of approval. Unlike many of their low-flow predecessors, these new models, which sell for $200 to $550, guarantee a clean flush (for more information, see epa.gov/watersense). If you bought your toilet pre-1994, it probably uses 3.5gpf or more, and you could be eligible for a rebate from your local water utility if you switch to a more efficient model.
And pick up an aerator (from $2 at hardware stores), a gadget that screws into your faucet and either introduces a steady supply of bubbles or separates the water into thin streams that can save you more than a gallon a minute. Finally, check out water-efficient showerheads at your local hardware store or at niagaraconservation.com.
Laundry room: If you’re in the market for a new washing machine, choose one with an Energy Star label. As of January 2007, the EPA had implemented a water requirement, so now most washers use between 18 and 25 gallons of water per load as compared with the 40 gallons used by a standard machine (energystar.gov).
Outdoors: If you live in the suburbs, the lawn probably is your biggest water guzzler, and evaporation and runoff are your biggest enemies. Ask an irrigation-systems analyst from your local utility to check out your grass and offer tips on how you can use less water to keep it green. They might suggest adjusting your sprinkler system to make sure you’re nourishing your plants and not your sidewalk, installing a drip irrigation system or simply watering less frequently to encourage deeper root growth. Other easy tips are watering in the early morning and fertilizing less, or mowing taller, which “protects the water that would ordinarily be lost to evaporation,” says Mitch Basefsky, the Tucson (Ariz.) Water Department’s public-information officer.
The garage: During drought season, hosing down your driveway is a big no-no. You can save an easy 80 gallons by using a broom to clean instead. And think twice before pulling out the hose for your car. Instead, try a waterless product like No-Wet, an organic, wax-based cleaner ($30.99 per quart; nowet.com), or head to a carwash that recirculates its water.
The kitchen: Everybody knows not to run the dishwasher unless it’s full, but if you have an older model, consider replacing it with a high-efficiency washer, which can use up to 50 percent less water per load. The biggest savers are Bosch’s 800 and select 500 series, which use as little as 1.8 gallons of water per load (from $1, 099; boschappliances.com). When used effectively (scrape, don’t rinse, dishes before they go in and use the shortest cycle you can manage), a machine can save more than hand-washing your dishes several times a day. And even something as simple as fixing a leaky faucet with a new washer or gasket can make a huge difference, saving up to 140 gallons per week. Here’s to a (responsibly) wet summer.
