Saving Water in the Home
By Owen Whetzel
A new neighbor, who moved to our city from Texas and was accustomed to routine water rationing, recently remarked to me, "you seem to have plenty of water in California." It may appear that way to some, but the truth is that water availability throughout most of the state is a fragile situation -- water rationing is always a possibility.
There are some easy ways you can help, by conserving on water usage. Here are a few suggestions:
CHECK FOR LEAKS
According to the California Urban Water Conservation Council in their publication "Practical Plumbing Handbook," a 1/32-inch hole through an opening somewhere in the water system will waste 6,200 gallons of water a month. A 1/16-inch hole will leak 25,000 gallons. A leak from a faucet or hose bibb of 60-drops per minute equals 192 gallons per month.
During a time when water will not be used in the house, go to the water meter and either use a piece of masking tape to mark exactly where the gauge arrows or hands are pointing, or if you have a meter with a triangular indicator, simply observe it for several minutes to see, if it moves. If it has arrows or hands, return two hours later and check to see whether the indicators have moved. (It's important that water not be turned on during this test.) If the indicators have moved, there is probably a leak somewhere.
If you suspect a leak, put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and inspect the accessible plumbing system. If you aren't successful at locating underground leaks, consider hiring a professional, who specializes in leak detection. You will find them listed in the Yellow Pages under "Pipe & Leak Locating."
All toilets, regardless of age, should be checked, when you suspect a leak or at least once a year for "silent leaks" (leaks you cannot hear). Put indicator tablets, which are also known as leak detection or dye tablets, which are a non-staining colors, into the toilet tank. Don't flush the toilet for one-half hour or longer. If the dye color appears in the toilet bowl, there is a leak from the tank into the bowl. WARNING: The use of food coloring or fabric dye as leak indicators will likely stain the inside of the toilet tank.
Older toilets using 3.5 to 6 gallons of water per flush are one of the biggest consumers of water in a house. If you haven't installed ultra-low flush (ULF) toilets, consider doing so as soon as possible. Check with your local water utility to see if they have a program, that reduces the price of a replacement ULF toilet and/or aids in installation costs.
For early detection of leaks from, for example, a water heater, dishwasher, clothes washer, garbage disposer, or beneath a faucet, consider installing battery-operated water leak detectors.
RECIRCULATING SYSTEM & PIPE INSULATION
Consider installing a recirculating system on your water heater, which will provide a constant flow of hot water to all faucets. A good discussion on recirculating systems is in "The Water Heater Workbook," by Larry and Suzanne Weingarten (Elemental Enterprises), which should be available through a library or bookstore.
Insulating hot water lines throughout a house will also save energy. You have two basic choices: Fiberglass wrap, a fiberglass insulating "tape," which is wrapped in a spiral fashion around pipes. Or, extruded closed-cell foam insulation, which is sold in tubes, that wrap around pipes. You will find both materials in the plumbing department of an OSH store.
SOME OF THE "DON'T" OF HOME WATER USAGE
-- Don't let water continue to run while brushing teeth, washing hands or shaving.
-- Don't take long showers. Do install a low-flow showerhead with a shut-off valve. This will allow you to get wet and then shut-off water flow at the showerhead, then scrub-up and turn the water back on to rinse. Low-flow showerheads conserve the amount of water you use and yes, you can become accustomed to not being blasted by water.
-- Don't have kitchen, bath, bar, laundry, etc. faucets that do not have aerators. Aerators are inexpensive and easily added to existing faucets They are found in the plumbing department of all OSH stores.
-- Don't allow water to run from the tap, before getting a drink of water. In summer months instead of letting water run to cool, keep chilled water in the refrigerator. If you are waiting for the water clarity to clear (say it's rusty), correct the problem by finding the source, which is commonly rust from galvanized iron (steel) pipes or fittings, and fix it.
-- Don't use water to clean a porch, walkway, driveway, etc. Instead use a broom.
-- Don't wash small loads of laundry. However, if you must do a small load, set the water level to match the load. Also, consider replacing your old clothes washer with a new energy efficient model.
-- Don't wash partial loads of dishes in the dishwasher. Don't pre-rinse dishes that don't need rinsing. Also, as with the clothes washer, consider replacing your old dishwasher with a new water and energy efficient model
-- Don't let a dripping faucet drip. You will tips on repairing leaking faucets in "Repairing Faucets and Valves," which is on the OSH Web site.
These are just a few suggestions. There are multitudes of ways you can save water. The utility providing water to your house is a good source for additional information. In addition, you can do a search for information on the Internet and also find books on energy conservation in any public library. While there, do a periodical search to find the latest magazine articles on saving water.
Other tips may be found by reading the questions and answers, which have been asked by people visiting "Ask OSH" on the OSH Web site
WORTH READING
Water Saver Home
"How to Conserve Water and Use It Effectively," by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
OTHER WEB SITES WORTH VISITING
California Urban Water Conservation Council
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and US Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Star program