Before it's too late.....

25 Ways To Save Water
From Volusia County Environmental Management
and
50 Ways to Save Water
from: The Northwest Florida Water Management District

Water conservation can go a long way to help alleviate these impending shortages.

Check your toilet for leaks
Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the coloring begins to appear in the bowl., you have a leak that may be wasting more than 100 gallons of water a day.

Stop using your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket
Every cigarette butt or tissue you flush away also flushes away five to seven gallons of water.

Put a plastic bottle in your toilet tank
Put an inch or two of sand or pebbles in the bottom of a one liter bottle to weigh it down. Fill the rest of the bottle with water and put it in your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanism. In an average home, the bottle may save five gallons or more of water every day without harming the efficiency of the toilet. If your tank is big enough, you may even be able to put in two bottles.

Take shorter showers
A typical shower uses five to ten gallons of water a minute. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down and rise off.

Install water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors
Your hardware or plumbing supply store stocks inexpensive shower heads or flow restrictors that will cut your shower flow to about three gallons a minute instead of five to ten. They are easy to install, and your showers will still be cleansing and refreshing.

Take baths
A partially filled tub uses less water than all but the shortest showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth
Before brushing, wet your brush and fill a glass for rinsing your mouth.

Turn off the water while shaving
Fill the bottom of the sink with a few inches of warm water in which to rinse your razor.

Check faucets and pipes for leaks
Even a small drip can waste 50 or more gallons of water a day.

Use your automatic dishwasher for full loads only
Every time you run your dishwasher, you use about 25 gallons of water.

Use your automatic washing machine only for full loads only
Your automatic washer uses 30 to 35 gallons per cycle.

Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables
Rinse your vegetables instead in a bowl or sink full of clean water.

Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator
This puts a stop to the wasteful practice of running tap water to cool it for drinking.

If you wash dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing
If you have two sinks, fill one with rinse water. If you have only one sink, first gather all your washed dishes in a dish rack, then rinse them quickly with a spray device or a pan of water.

Check faucets and pipes for leaks
Leaks waste water 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An inexpensive washer is usually enough to stop them.

Water your lawn only when it needs it
Watering on a regular schedule doesn't allow for cool spells or rainfall which reduce the need for watering. Step on some grass. If it springs back up when you move your foot, it doesn't need water.

Deep-soak your lawn
When you do water your lawn, water it long enough for water to seep down to the roots where it is needed. A light sprinkling that sits on the surface will simply evaporate and be wasted.

Water during the cool parts of the day
Early morning is better than dusk since it helps prevent the growth of fungus.

Don't water the gutter
Position your sprinklers so that water lands on your lawn or garden, not in areas where it does no good. Also, avoid watering on windy days when much of your water may be carried off to the streets and sidewalks.

Plant drought-resistant trees and plants
Many beautiful trees and plants thrive without irrigation.

Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants.
Mulch slows the evaporation of moisture.

Use a broom to clean driveways, sidewalks and steps
Using a hose wastes hundreds and hundreds of gallons of water.

Don't run the hose while washing your car
Soap down your car from a pail of soapy water. Use a hose only to rinse it off.

Tell your children not to play with the hose and sprinklers
Children love to play under a hose or sprinkler on a hot day. Unfortunately, this practice is extremely wasteful of precious water and should be discouraged.

Check for leaks in pipes, hoses faucets and couplings
Leaks outside the house are easier to ignore since they since they don't mess up the floor or keep you awake at night. However, they can be even more wasteful than inside water leaks especially when they occur on your main water line.

From: The Northwest Florida Water Management District
50 Ways to Save Water:

This is the html version of the file http://www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/pubs/50ways/50Ways.pdf

How you can help save Florida’s precious water supply
While this appears to be a straightforward brochure about water conservation, it
is a lot more serious than that. It’s about the very survival of our Florida lifestyle. It’s
not too late to save Florida’s precious water supply. But we must act now to ensure
the continued existence of our water supply for generations to come.
As you read through these 50 ways to save water, you’ll notice that some are
simply common sense, while others utilize new technology. However, they are all
equally important to you, your children and all future Florida generations.

Saving Water Indoors

• 1.Never put water down the
  drain when there may be another
  use for it such as cleaning or
  watering a plant or garden.
• 2.Verify that your home is
  leak-free, because many homes
  have hidden water leaks. Read
  your water meter before and after
  a two-hour period when no water
  is being used. If the meter does
  not show exactly the same read-
  ings, there is a leak.
• 3.Repair dripping faucets by
  replacing washers. If your faucet
  is dripping at the rate of one drop
  per second, you can expect to
  waste 2,700 gallons per year,
  which will add to the cost of
  water and sewer utilities or strain
  your septic system.
• 4.Check for toilet tank leaks
  by adding food coloring to the
  tank. If the toilet is leaking, color
  will appear within 30 minutes.
  Check the toilet for worn out,
  corroded or bent parts. Most
  replacement parts are inexpen-
  sive, readily available and easily
  installed. (Flush as soon as test is
  done since food coloring may
  stain tank.)
• 5.Avoid flushing the toilet
  unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues,
  insects and other such waste in a
  trash container rather than in the
  toilet.
• 6.Install a toilet dam or
  displacement device such as a
  bag or bottle to cut down on the
  amount of water needed for each
  flushing. Be sure installation does
  not interfere with operating parts.
  When purchasing new or replace-
  ment toilets, consider low-volume
  units which use less than half the
  water of older models. In many
  areas, low-volume units are
  required by law.
• 7.Take shorter showers.
  Replace your shower head with
  an ultra low-flow version. Some
  units are available that allow you
  to cut off the flow without adjust-
  ing the water temperature knobs.
• 8.Use the minimum amount
  of water needed for a bath by
  closing the drain first and filling
  the tub only 1/3 full. Put the plug
  or stopper in the tub before
  turning on water. The initial burst
  of cold water can be warmed by
  adding hot water later.
• 9.Don’t let water run while
  shaving or washing your face.
  Brush your teeth first while wait-
  ing for water to get hot then
  wash or shave after filling the
  basin.
  
• 10.Retrofit all wasteful house-
  hold faucets by installing aerators
  with flow restrictors.
  
• 11.Operate automatic dish-
  washers and clothes washers
  only when they are fully loaded
  or properly set the water level for
  the size of load you are using.
  
• 12.When washing dishes by
  hand, fill one sink or basin with
  soapy water. Quickly rinse under
  a slow-moving stream from the
  faucet.
  
• 13.Store drinking water in the
  refrigerator rather than letting the
  tap run every time you want a
  cool glass of water.
  
• 14.Do not use running water
  to thaw meat or other frozen
  foods. Defrost food overnight in
  the refrigerator or by using the
  defrost setting on your micro-
  wave.
  
• 15.Kitchen sink disposals
  require a lot of water to operate
  properly. Start a compost pile as
  an alternate method of disposing
  of food waste instead of using a
  garbage disposal. Garbage dis-
  posal waste also can add 50
  percent to the volume of solids in
  a septic tank, which can lead to
  septic system malfunctions and
  maintenance problems.
  
• 16.Consider installing an
  instant water heater on your
  kitchen sink so you don’t have to
  let the water run while it heats
  up. This will reduce heating costs
  for your household.
  
  
  Saving Water Outdoors
  
• 17.Insulate your water pipes.
  You’ll get hot water faster plus
  avoid wasting water while it heats
  up.
  
• 18.Never install a water-to-air
  heat pump or air-conditioning
  system. Newer air-to-air models are
  just as efficient and do not waste
  water.
  
• 19.Install water-softening sys-
  tems only when necessary. Save
  water and salt by running the
  minimum amount of regenerations
  necessary to maintain water soft-
  ness. Turn softeners off while on
  vacation.
  
• 20.Check your pump. If you
  have a well at your home, listen to
  see if the pump kicks on and off
  while the water is not in use. If it
  does, you have a leak.
  
• 21.When adjusting water tem-
  peratures, instead of turning water
  flow up, try turning it down. If the
  water is too hot or cold, turn the
  offender down rather than increas-
  ing water flow to balance the
  temperature.
  
• 22.If the toilet flush handle
  frequently sticks in the flush posi-
  tion, letting water run constantly,
  replace or adjust it.
  
• 23.Don’t overwater your lawn.
  As a general rule, lawns only need
  watering every 5 to 7 days in the
  summer and every 10 to 14 days in
  the winter. A hearty rain eliminates
  the need for watering for as long as
  two weeks. Plant it smart —
  Xeriscape. Xeriscape landscaping,
  which is a great way to design,
  install and maintain both your
  plantings and irrigation system, will
  save you time, money and water.
  
• 24.Water lawns during the
  early morning hours when tem-
  peratures and wind speed are the
  lowest. This reduces loss from
  evaporation.
  
• 25.Don’t water your street,
  driveway or sidewalk. Position your
  sprinklers so that your water lands
  on the lawn and shrubs — not the
  paved areas.
  
• 26.Install sprinklers that are the
  most water-efficient for each use.
  Micro and drip irrigation and
  soaker hoses are examples of
  water-efficient methods of irriga-
  tion.
  
• 27.Check sprinkler systems and
  timing devices regularly to be sure
  they are operating properly. It is
  now the law that anyone who
  purchases and installs an automatic
  lawn-sprinkler system MUST install
  a rain sensor device or switch
  which will override the irrigation
  cycle of the sprinkler system when
  adequate rainfall has occurred. To
  retrofit your existing system, con-
  tact an irrigation professional for
  more information.
  
• 28.Raise the lawn mower blade
  to at least three inches. A lawn cut
  higher encourages grass roots to
  grow deeper, shades the root
  system and holds soil moisture
  better than a closely-clipped lawn.
  
• 29.Avoid overfertilizing your
  lawn. The application of fertilizers
  increases the need for water. Apply
  fertilizers which contain slow-
  release, water-insoluble forms of
  nitrogen.
  
• 30.Mulch to retain moisture in
  the soil. Mulching also helps to
  control weeds that compete with
  plants for water.
  
• 31.Plant native and/or drought-
  tolerant grasses, ground covers,
  shrubs and trees. Once established,
  they do not need to be watered as
  frequently and they usually will
  survive a dry period without any
  watering. Group plants together
  based on similar water needs.
  
• 32.Do not hose your driveway
  or sidewalk. Use a broom to sweep
  leaves and other debris from these
  areas. Using a hose to clean a
  driveway can waste hundreds of
  gallons of water.
  
• 33.Outfit your hose with a shut-
  off nozzle that can be adjusted
  down to a fine spray so water flows
  only as needed. When finished,
  turn the water off at the faucet
  instead of at the nozzle to avoid
  leaks.
  
• 34.Use hose washers between
  spigots and water hoses to elimi-
  nate leaks.
  
• 35.Do not leave sprinklers or
  hoses unattended. Your garden
  hose can pour out 600 gallons of
  water or more in only a few hours,
  so don’t leave the sprinkler running
  all day. Use a kitchen timer to
  remind yourself to turn it off.
  
• 36.Check all hoses, connectors
  and spigots regularly.
  Page 4
  General Tips, Saving Water
  
• 37.Consider using a commercial
  car wash that recycles water. If you
  wash your own car, park on the
  grass to do so.
  
• 38.Avoid the installation of
  ornamental water features (such as
  fountains) unless the water is
  recycled. Locate where there are
  minimal losses due to evaporation
  and wind drift.
  
• 39.If you have a swimming
  pool, consider a new water-saving
  pool filter. A single backflushing
  with a traditional filter uses from
  180 to 250 gallons, or more.
  
• 40.Create an awareness of the
  need for water conservation among
  children. Avoid the purchase of
  recreational water toys that require
  a constant stream of water.
  
• 41.Be aware of and follow all
  water-conservation and water-
  shortage rules and restrictions,
  which may be in effect in your area.
  
• 42.Encourage your employer
  to promote water conservation at
  the workplace. Suggest that water
  conservation be put in the em-
  ployee orientation manual and
  training program.
  
• 43.Patronize businesses which
  practice and promote water conser-
  vation.
  
• 44.Report all significant water
  losses (broken pipes, open hy-
  drants, errant sprinklers, etc.) to the
  property owner or local authorities.
  Report abandoned free-flowing
  wells to the water management
  district.
  
• 45.Encourage your school
  system and local government to
  help develop and promote a water
  conservation ethic among children
  and adults.
  
• 46.Support projects that will
  lead to an increased use of re-
  claimed wastewater for irrigation
  and other uses.
  
• 47.Support efforts and pro-
  grams to create a concern for water
  conservation among tourists and
  visitors to our state. Make sure
  visitors understand the need for,
  and benefits of, water conservation.
  
• 48.Encourage your friends and
  neighbors to be part of a water-
  conscious community. Promote
  water conservation in community
  newsletters, on bulletin boards and
  by example.
  
• 49.Conserve water because it
  is the right thing to do. Don’t waste
  water just bescause someone else is
  footing the bill such as when you
  are staying at a hotel.
  
• 50.Try to do one thing each day that will
  result in a savings of water. Don’t worry if it
  is minimal. Every drop counts. And every person
  can make a difference.