Follow these water conservation tips to save money and the environment at your northern Utah home this summer!
Although everyone in northern Utah is excited about the record-breaking snowfall that occurred this winter, it still doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods in terms of our persistent drought over the last few years. Homeowners throughout our region still must remain vigilant when it comes to water conservation, because our community’s long-term future depends upon our collective usage habits!
There are many things that homeowners can do when it comes to conserving our municipal water resources, and what’s also great is that water conservation strategies help households save money on their monthly utility bills as well.
Below we’re providing some water conservation tips to keep in mind this summer that you can implement both inside and outside your northern Utah home:
Repairing or Replacing Old Toilets
The EPA has concluded that toilets are where households use a significant amount of water, which can sometimes equate to up to around 30% of all indoor water consumption. This significant percentage is due to the overall likelihood of toilet leaks and inefficiency occurring within your bathroom.
Older toilets use over 3 gallons of water with every flush, which is why every home needs to consider upgrading to low-flow, high-efficiency toilets that can save a family thousands on water bills over the course of several years!
The Beehive Plumbing team is always here when you need toilet repairs, but we’ll also be there for you when you think it’s time to upgrade your toilet to a more eco-friendly model.
Repairing or Replacing Faucets
About 15% of indoor water usage comes from our faucets, and upgrading to a WaterSense faucet can potentially reduce your fixture’s water flow by about 30%.
Of course you don’t always have to replace your faucets in order to see eco-friendly improvements. You can also consider replacing your faucet’s aerator for better water-efficiency as well.
But whenever your faucets are leaking, it can lead to significant wasting that’ll require professional support to fully fix.
Replacing Outdated Showerheads
About 17% of our indoor water usage goes towards showering, so investing in a high-efficiency shower fixture can go a long way to achieve water savings of up to 60%.
There’s a lot to love about high-efficiency showerheads, and you don’t need to worry about these types of fixtures reducing water pressure in your shower, either. These showerheads truly offer the best of both worlds in terms of shower quality and water efficiency!
Use Your Home’s Water Meter To See If You Have Any Hidden Leaks
Your home’s water meter is a great tool when you suspect that your abnormally high water bills are connected to a leak hidden within your residential plumbing system.
What you’ll do is turn off your main water supply so that absolutely no water is running within your home, and then you’ll wait for a couple hours. If your meter is still showing different readings than the beginning of the test, it could be possible that you have a leak.
Our leak detection services are some of the best in all of northern Utah, and you can count on our Master Plumbers to locate your leak and fix it as quickly as possible.
Don’t Run Water While Brushing Your Teeth
A lot of us have the habit of running water in sinks while brushing our teeth, but this is the type of habit that needs to be cut out for water conservation purposes.
There generally isn’t any need to keep water running while brushing teeth, so try to form the habit of simply wetting the brush and filling up a glass for mouth rinsing.
Only Doing Full Washer & Dishwasher Loads
All of your dishwasher and clothes washer loads should be fully loaded in order to maintain an optimal water conservation routine. And when you’re washing your clothes, try to avoid using permanent press settings. This setting will often add about five gallons of water into the rinsing cycle, which is typically unnecessary.
Plant Drought-Resistant Plants, Shrubs & Lawns
Even though northern Utah received plenty of moisture this winter, it’s still a good idea to use less water for your exterior landscaping. There are plenty of beautiful plants and shrubs that grow well in our region that don’t require too much water.
And getting creative with this type of landscaping technique can even improve your home’s curb appeal!
Watering Only In The Morning or Evening Hours
Of course there are plenty of homeowners that want to keep their more traditional landscaping, and these properties need to be extra cautious of how and when they use their water for yard work.
The early morning and late evening hours tend to be the best times to water lawns, because you won’t have to worry about your water being evaporated (and essentially wasted).
Limiting Lawn Watering To Only When It’s Necessary
Most lawns in northern Utah only need about an inch of water per week, so it’s always a good idea for homeowners to be extra cautious about how much water they’re using with their sprinkler systems.
One tip to keep in mind is that your lawn doesn’t need watering if you step on the grass and the blades spring back up. But if the grass stays flat while stepping on it, it’s a sign that it’s ready for watering.
Reach Out To Beehive Plumbing To Learn More Water Conservation Tips For Your Northern Utah Home!
Beehive Plumbing has been there for thousands of homes in northern Utah when it comes to protecting plumbing systems for the foreseeable future, and we’ll also help you when you need support implementing water conservation strategies.
Contact us online or give us a call at 801-661-8155 to speak with our water conservation specialists today about how you can save water this summer!
