How to Save Water in the Bathroom (Water-Saving Tips, Part 2!)

It’s no secret the bathroom is an outlet for wasting water.

According to the EPA, toilets alone are the main source of water use in the home. They account for nearly 30 percent of your water use. Old, inefficient toilets use 5 to 7 gallons per flush.

When you also consider that only 1 percent of the water on Earth is fresh and obtainable, it makes you wonder what we can do to help.

Even the simplest action to save water in the bathroom can increase your water conservation by many gallons a year. For example, throwing a tissue into the trash instead of flushing it down the toilet can save gallons of water every year.

Another Reason to Save Water: Money

When we use water or waste it, the cost of cleaning it can be high. That cost gets passed on to you by your local water utility.

The water we use at home doesn’t just magically appear. Treated water is a carefully manufactured product that arrives at your home only after traveling through many miles of pipeline and lengthy treatment processes.

Here’s what we can do about it.

Water-Saving Tips for the Bathroom

Check out these great water-saving tips in the bathroom. You’ll use less water and spend less money on water while doing yourself and your future family a big favor.

• Replace older, regular toilets with low-flow models. Modern toilets use from 1 to 1.6 gallons per flush, saving you up to 350 gallons a week. Make sure that any new toilet you purchase uses no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Consumer groups like Consumer Reports provide lots of good information in this respect.
• Repair a leaking toilet to save up to 100 gallons per week.
• Repair a dripping bathroom faucet to save up to 350 gallons per week.
• Install a low-flow shower head to save as much as 500 gallons of water each week. You’ll know if you need a new low-flow shower head if your shower can fill a 1-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds.
• Taking shorter showers is another way to save water in the bathroom. This alone can easily save 20 gallons of water per day per person.

Water-Saving Tips for Bathroom Continued…

• If taking a bath, don’t fill the tub all the way. Keep in mind that a short shower uses less water than a full tub, and a partially filled tub uses much less water than a long shower.
• Conserve even more by using a bucket to collect the water that comes out of the tap or shower head while you wait for it to heat up. After you’re done, use that bucket of water for your pets and houseplants.
• Install a point-of-use water heater. These models are called point-of-use because they heat the water close to where it’s being used. Less water is used, and you will save on energy costs.
• Don’t let your faucet run continuously while brushing your teeth or shaving. Run the water only while rinsing to save several gallons each week.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, the number of gallons we waste in our bathrooms is staggering.

Combined with the fact that water is a decreasing resource that will continue to go up in price, it’s necessary for us to find ways to use less of it.

The good news is that we have the ability and the technology to conserve our water resources. And we can start by saving water in our own bathrooms.

References

• How to save water in the kitchen (Part 1)
• Ways to save water outside the home (Part 3)
• Point-of-use water heaters
• Kohler brand showerhead with low-flow rate

Call 1-Tom-Plumber

Don’t hesitate to contact us here or call us at 1-Tom-Plumber (1-866-758-6237) if you need help making repairs, replacements, or installations that will save water in your bathroom. 

1-Tom-Plumber’s certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain, or water damage problem, including excavation of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response team is available every day and night of the year, even on holidays.