Public Utilities Department - Water Conservation

Miscellaneous Tips and Trivia

1. The human body is more than three-quarters water. Water is essential to existence, not only for people but for plants and animals as well.

2. Water covers 70 percent of the earth's surface. At least 97 percent of the world's water is salty and undrinkable. Another two percent of the earth's water is polluted, polar ice, or otherwise inaccessible and undrinkable. That leaves approximately one percent of the earth's water for humans to use.

3. Water, when evaporated from the world's oceans by the heat of the sun, leaves its salt behind. Winds blow moisture inland where clouds are formed and some of the water falls to earth as rain or snow. Then, by one route or another, it returns to the ocean.

4. On a daily basis, the people of the United States, directly and indirectly, use more than 380 billion gallons of water, or approximately 1,668 gallons per person.

5. In Canada, the average daily use is 1,090 gallons per person, in Australia it is 876 gallons. In Great Britain they use approximately 185 gallons per day and in Switzerland they only use 77 gallons per person per day.

6. The use of six gallons of gasoline per week requires 6,000 gallons of water for production. If you drink one canned beverage per day, the production of that can required 29,000 gallons of water. If you read one newspaper per day, that required 66,000 gallons of water.

7. Restaurants in the U.S. serve approximately 70 million meals a day. Every glass of water brought to your table requires another two glasses of water to wash and rinse the glass.

8. The bathroom accounts for 75 percent of the water used inside the home. Did you know that every time you flush the toilet you are using as much as five gallons of water?

9. Food coloring in the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl without the toilet being flushed, you have a leak to repair!

10. If you are remodeling your bathroom or building a new house, consider some of the water saving toilets available. A conventional toilet in the U.S. uses five gallons of water every time it is used, the common low flush toilet uses three and one half gallons, ultra low volume toilet uses one and one half gallons and the air-assisted toilet uses one half gallon - a potential savings of 90 percent.

11. You could save up to 27 percent more water by taking showers instead of baths (if the shower discharge is less than three gallons per minute the duration is less than eight minutes). Try this experiment - plug the bathtub drain while taking a shower and when you are finished compare the water level to the water you use for a bath. Make a habit of using less water.

12. To save even more water, turn the shower on to get wet, turn the water off while you lather up, then turn it back on to rinse. And combine several activities in the show - washing your hair, shaving and belting out your favorite song. If each person would shower for one minute less each time they showered, 1.8 billion gallons of water could be saved each year.

13. When you are brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing you face remember not to let the water run continuously. This could save between 10 and 20 gallons of water per person every day.

14. Water savings can be increased further by using easily installed devices designed to reduce the amount of water used in a toilet, shower or sink - such as low-flow shower head or a toilet dam.

15. Make sure the hot water heater thermostat isn't set too high. Extremely high settings waste water and energy when the water has to be cooled down for use.

16. You can save between 14 and 17 percent more water by doing only full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine. And when it comes time to buy new appliances, look for those that are water-efficient and have settings for water saving cycles.

17. To save water in other areas of your home, accumulate dirty clothes and dishes until you have a full load for the washing machine or dishwasher. (If you have to trade off doing dishes with other family members, try to arrange it so that the dishwasher is always filled to capacity on the other person's day!)

18. The kitchen is a great place to save water. Doing dishes by hand can save twice the water used in a dishwasher. When washing dishes by hand, don't leave the water running, plug the sink or use a portable dishpan.

19. If using a dishpan for dishwashing, carefully carry the water outside and dump it on your garden or lawn to give you lawn or garden an extra drink. (During the summer your plants will appreciate the effort).

20. When you are cleaning vegetables and fruit, plug the sink or use a portable tub instead of rinsing under running water. (Save this water for your plants, too!) Accumulate the vegetable and fruit trimmings and other waste before you use the garbage disposal. Dispose of all the waste at once, flushing with cold water.

21. Use a little water and a lid on the pot when cooking most food. This method uses less water and any left over water can be applied to your plants (be sure to let it cool first!). Instead of running the tap water to get a cold drink, keep a container of drinking water (for lemonade) in the refrigerator.

22. Water conservation doesn't stop in the kitchen. If you have a fish tank, save the dirty water to use on your house plants. Fish emulsion is a good and inexpensive fertilizer high in nitrogen and phosphorous. You will be getting two benefits in one - fertilizer and water savings.

23. A drip or a leak anywhere inside or outside the house can waste hundreds of gallons of water per day (besides a drip keeping you awake all night!). Check all water line connections and faucets for leaks. If they are leaking or dripping, tighten the connections or replace worn washers. (Once it is quiet, you will sleep better knowing you are saving water and money!)

24. The care and cleaning of the family car is another way to save water. (It already required 120,000 gallons of water to build the average car!) Take your car to a car wash that recycles water.

25. When cleaning leaves or other debris from your lawn, driveway, or sidewalk, use a broom or rake instead of water from a hose. While outside look for more ways to conserve water.

26. Water is a precious commodity and there is a limited supply. Remember to use only the amount you actually need. Look for ways to conserve water in and around your home and place of work.