Tips to Conserve Water this Summer

It’s a view only a few have experienced, but one that really puts our world into perspective. More than 97% of the water on our planet is in oceans and lakes too salty to drink. The rest is ice.  So it makes sense to be smart with how we use water and avoid misusing this valuable resource. Here are some ways to conserve water this summer:

Don’t leave your faucets running when you’re brushing your teeth or washing your face

Use enough water to get the brush wet, then fill a cup with the amount you need to rinse, plus a little extra to swish and clean your brush afterward. 

Shower smart to conserve water

When it’s hot or cold, it’s so tempting to take a long shower. The average shower uses 2.5 gallons of water each minute. If you have a 50-gallon capacity water heater (about average) - a four-minute shower will use 20% of that tank. So if you’re someone who likes to soak it all in, then cut back the waste with a low-flow showerhead. You can conserve water and, over the course of a month, slash that water bill!

Get a great yard without wasting your water

On hot summer days, none of us wants the flowers to die or our grass to turn brown. Many of us have inground sprinkler systems and know how much water they use and how much it costs us. So, here are some tips to conserve water and maintain your landscaping. The simplest: use a drip system or water by hand or hose; that way you have a grip on how much water is flowing. 

Get a reusable water bottle

You probably like knowing how much water you're drinking; a 16-ounce plastic bottle spells it all out for you on the label. But you’re wasting water by using plastic; it takes at least three times more water to produce a disposable water bottle than a reusable one. And you’re cluttering the earth when you toss it. 

Reusable bottles take much less water to produce and the best ones are smart water bottles that not only tell you how much you’re drinking, they also tell you when you haven’t been drinking enough with glowing reminders to keep you on track. Refilling the bottle from your fridge dispenser or a water fountain at the gym also saves you a lot of money. Your bottle will pay for itself time and time again!

So, we come full circle. Since less than 1% of the water on Earth can be used as drinking water, let’s all do our part to conserve water this summer.

Have a great summer and stay safe!