Identify ways you can conserve water in your home.
Consider This
It’s easy to waste water and even easier to take clean water for granted. Water pours out of our faucets as though it were endlessly available. But the truth is that the supply of good quality freshwater is limited.
Fortunately, it’s just as easy to save water as it is to waste it.
Conserve Water At Home
Use the following questions and tips to help you identify places where you can make changes to save water — and money, too!
Inside the House
- Has your family discussed water conservation and implemented any water conservation plans?
- Have all leaking faucets, toilets, and shower heads been repaired?
- Is the dishwasher run only when full so you conserve water?
- Is the washing machine run only when full so you conserve water?
- Are silverware and dishes pre-soaked in a container instead of rinsed with running water?
- Have low-flow faucets been installed?
- Have toilets been installed that use 1.6 gallons/flush or less?
- Do you turn off the water while brushing teeth and soaping hands?
- Do you turn off the faucet when scrubbing dishes and pots?
Outside the House
- Are driveways and sidewalks swept rather than cleaned with water?
- Has native vegetation been planted that is adapted to local rainfall amounts and climate?
- Has mulch been placed around plants and trees to retain moisture?
- If the lawn and plants need to be watered, is this done during the cooler parts of the day to minimize evaporation loss?
- Are sprinklers and hoses directed at grassy areas and not the pavement when watering?
- Is rainwater collected for irrigating and watering plants?
Get the Materials
- Download this Home Connection: Improving Water Conservation, adapted from PLT’s GreenSchools Investigations.
- Descarga la actividad en español: Mejorar la conservación del agua