Bathroom
Bathroom Faucet
The faucet is the most frequently used fixture in the bathroom. It flows at a rate of up to 3 gallons per minute. Instead of letting the water run, turn it off or fill the basin. By installing a faucet aerator with flow restrictor, you can reduce the amount of water used per minute without any noticeable flow reduction.
Toilet
The toilet can use more water than any other item in your home. Some habit changes and helpful technology can hold water use in check. If you have a habit of using your toilet to get rid of bits and pieces by flushing things like cigarette butts, gum wrappers, tissues, secret documents, insects and other small items, STOP. Each time you flush, you may use 1.5 to 7 gallons of water. Throw these items in the trash.
Many older toilets use more water than necessary for an effective flush. By simply inserting a displacement device into your toilet tank, you save up to a gallon or more per flush with no noticeable difference. Toilet dams, displacement bags and other flush-limiting gadgets are available at most hardware or plumbing supply stores and are easy and inexpensive to install.
A toilet leak can silently waste hundred of gallons of water each day. If you suspect you have a toilet leak, place several drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. DO NOT FLUSH! Wait 15 minutes, then check the toilet bowl. If any color has appeared in the bowl, you have a leak.
Shower
The shower accounts for a great share of water used indoors. Most showers flow from 5 to 8 gallons per minute. That means an 8-minute shower can use from 40 to 64 gallons of water.
One very good way to manage water use is to simply cut down on the length of time you spend in the shower. You'll find five minutes is more than enough time to take a shower.
Another way is to reduce the rate at which the shower flows. By installing a low-flow shower head, you can lower water use from 8 to 2.5 gallons per minute while maintaining a full flow.
Still another way to control water use while showering is to install a device that lets you turn off the water while you lather and shampoo and restart it by using a switch on the shower head. This avoids having to re-adjust the temperature when using the faucet controls.
