Change Habits

• Brush teeth – Rinse brush then turn off the water
• Shaving – use a couple inches of water in the sink to rinse
• Dishes – fill the sink to rinse
• Vegetables – fill the sink to rinse them
• Toilet flushing – flush only when needed; don’t use to dispose of trash
• Bath – take shallow baths and keep showers short
• Laundry – full loads save the most water
• Dishwasher – full loads save the most water

Repair Leaks

• Check faucets and pipes for leaks
• Toilet – add food coloring to the toilet tank water, and check the bowl in 15 minutes (don’t flush). Color in the toilet bowl probably means there’s a leak.
• Outside – check hose connections, pool and filtration systems, irrigation systems
• Meter – check to see if there are leaks by reading the meter at night before going to bed when no water will be used, then read the meter again in the morning. If there is a change in the number then there is a leak somewhere in the home.

Install Water Saving Devices

• install water-efficient or low-flow fixtures
• use displacement devices (to reduce amount of water used in older toilets)
• use Rain Barrels for outdoor watering

Tips for Water Savings Outdoors

• Car Washing – Rinse, use a bucket for soap, then rinse again
• Hoses – turn off the hose each time at the house
• Pool – don’t overfill and use a solar cover to ease evaporation
• Lawn & Garden – Water early or late, let grass grow taller in hot weather, use mulch around plants, shrubs and trees, follow watering restrictions
• Plants – Use native plants, plant a xeriscape or a rain garden

Lawn Watering Tips from the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service:

• Water thoroughly so moisture gets down to the depth of the root
• Water early in the day when lawns are normally wet from dew
• Avoid midday due to evaporation
• Avoid watering at night due to potential increased chance of disease
• Avoid frequent watering, which promote shallower root systems & weeds

An important decision to make is either to water lawns consistently as needed throughout summer or let lawns go dormant as conditions turn warm and dry.

• Do not rotate back and forth between watering and not watering
• Breaking dormancy actually drains large amounts of food reserves from plants

Thank you for doing your part!