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Saving water in your household has a dual purpose; to help conserve our water resources, and to help save you money.
Some of the ways to save water outside are to only water your lawn when it really needs it. Your lawn will need watering when the shape of a footprint remains for a long time, without the blades straightening themselves up. If the soil close to the roots is dry, or if a lot of individual blades are droopy, then it's time to irrigate.
Another way of saving water outside is to wash your car on your lawn, which will benefit the grass at the same time. Most soaps and detergents are biodegradable and won't hurt your lawn. If you don't want to or can't put your car on the lawn, use a commercial car wash that recycles its' water. It's a good idea to sweep your driveway or sidewalks, rather than using a hose to clean them.
There are a lot of ways to conserve water inside the house. Check your toilet to see if it's leaking and repair any cracks or leaks immediately. Also, consider retro-fitting your house with low-flow water efficient devices. If your toilet is not low-flow, then it uses between 5-7 gallons of water per flush, while a low-flow toilet only uses about 2-4 gallons. Many cities have a reimbursement or give-away program for low-flow devices, so check with your city. Faucets and shower heads should also have flow-restrictions devices that will save water.
Try to keep a container of cold water in the refrigerator to avoid running tap water to cool it down for drinking. Only run the dishwasher and washing machine with full loads, and don't leave water running while brushing your teeth. If you do have to run water to get it hot, or cold, save it in a bucket to water your plants. When washing vegetables, collect water in a container and then wash the vegetables. Use that water for your plants also.
With a few simple, common-sense conservation methods, you can help the environment and save yourself some money on your water bills.
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