Kitchen:
If you wash dishes by hand, dont leave the water running for rinsing. If you have
two sinks, fill one with rinse water. If you only have one sink, use a spray device
or short blasts instead of letting water run. Saves 200 to 500 gallons a month.

When washing dishes by hand, use the least amount of detergent possible.
This minimizes rinse water needed. Saves 50 to 150 gallons a month.

Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. This beats the wasteful
habit of running tap water to cool it before drinking. Saves 200 to 300 gallons a month.

Dont defrost frozen foods with running water. Either plan ahead by placing
frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave.
Saves 50 to 100 gallons a month.

Dont let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Rinse them in a
filled sink or pan. Saves 150 to 250 gallons a month.

Use the garbage disposal less and the garbage more.
Saves 50 to 150 gallons a month.

Bathroom:
Put a plastic bottle or a plastic bag weighted with pebbles and filled with
water in your toilet tank. Displacing water in this manner allows you to use
less water with each flush. Saves 5 to 10 gallons a day. That's up to
300 gallons a month, even more for large families.

If you're taking a shower, don't waste cold water while waiting for hot water
to reach the shower head. Catch that water in a container to use on
your outside plants. Saves 200 to 300 gallons a month.

Check toilet for leaks. Put dye tablets (available at the District office)
into the tank. If color appears in the bowl without flushing,
there's a leak that should be repaired. Saves 400 gallons a month.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
Saves three gallons a day.

Turn off the water while shaving. Fill the bottom of the sink with a 
few inches of water to rinse your razor. Saves three gallons a day.

Outside:
Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Chunks of bark, peat moss
or gravel slows down evaporation. Saves 750 to 1500 gallons a month.

If you have a pool, use a pool cover to cut down on evaporation. it will also
keep your pool cleaner and reduce the need to add chemicals.
Saves 1000 gallons a month.

Water during the cool parts of the day. Early morning is better than dusk
since it helps prevent the growth of fungus. Saves 300 gallons.

Don't water on windy days. There's too much evaporation.
Can waste up to 300 gallons in one watering.

Cut down watering on cool and overcast days and don't water in
the rain. Adjust or deactivate automatic sprinklers.
Can save up to 300 gallons each time.

Set lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer grass
means less evaporation. Saves 500 to 1500 gallons a month.

Have an evaporative air conditioner? Direct the water drain line
to a flower bed, tree base or lawn.

Drive your car onto a lawn to wash it.
Rinse water can help water the grass.

Tell your children not to play with the garden hose.
Saves 10 gallons a minute.

Xeriscape -- replace your lawn and high water-using trees and plants
with less thirsty ones. But do this only in wet years. Even drought
resistant plantings take extra water to get them going.
That will save 750 to 1500 gallons a month.

Dispose of hazardous materials properly! One quart of oil
can contaminate 250,000 gallons of water effectively
eliminating that much water from our supply.


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