Water conservation is important for many reasons. Not only does reducing water usage conserve fresh water supplies, but it reduces the pressure on water and sewage infrastructure. As the population increases, your local water authority has to build larger water treatment facilities, more pumping stations, install miles of water and sewer lines, and add more storage capacity. In addition, by conserving water we can reduce the amount of energy needed for pumping water and for operating water treatment facilities.
On a personal level, water conservation not only reduces your water bill, but can also reduce the amount of energy used for water heating. If you are on a septic system, lower water usage will help your septic system work better and last longer.
There are many ways we can save on water usage such as turning off the water while shaving or brushing our teeth and catching the water that would otherwise go down the drain while waiting for the shower to warm up and using it for watering plants. However, an more effective way to save tens of thousands of gallons of water per year without even thinking about it is to replace an older standard toilet with a modern low-flow toilet.
If the toilets in your home date back to before 1992, they most likely use at least twice as much water per flush than modern low flow toilets use. By replacing these old toilets with low flow toilets you can save about 3,000 gallons of water per person per year. For a family of four, that’s 12,000 gallons of water! You will not only conserve water, but depending on water and sewer rates in your area, you could also save $50 to $100 per year on your water bill.
