Small changes at home can add up to meaningful water savings over time. These simple conservation tips are easy to try, cost little or nothing, and can help reduce water use while protecting groundwater resources in Panola County.
Whether you take on the 40 Gallon Challenge or choose a few actions that fit your routine, every step helps stretch our water supply further.
Learn about The 40 Gallon Challenge, a voluntary water conservation program that encourages households and businesses to reduce daily water use by 40 gallons through simple, practical changes.
Toilets use more water than anything else in a house, accounting for nearly 30% of indoor water use, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Fill a half-gallon plastic milk jug with water and affix the cap. Flush the toilet and place the jug in the tank, away from the moving parts. This will save half a gallon per flush. Use pebbles or sand in the bottom of the jug if it doesn’t stay put.
Continuous flow uses more water than intermittent use. Turn the faucet on and off while brushing teeth, shaving, scrubbing kitchen pans, and soaping the car.
It’s obvious, but shorter showers and running the dishwasher and clothes washer only when they’re full help.
Use a higher wheel setting on your lawn mower, about 3 inches or more. Taller grass retains moisture better, requires less watering, and it inhibits weed growth—saving money on weed-killer.
It’s a no-brainer to fix leaky faucets, but your toilet might be leaking without you knowing and wasting 200 gallons a day, or about 50 flushes’ worth. Place a drop of dark food coloring in the tank. If it reaches the bowl within 15 minutes, you have a leak worth fixing.
The EPA has a relatively new program called WaterSense for labeling plumbing fixtures certified to save water, about 20% on average. It’s similar to the EnergyStar label for products that use electricity efficiently.
The label applies to water-efficient models of fixtures such as toilets, sink faucets, and showerheads. Learn more at epa.gov/watersense.
You don’t need to rinse dishes before loading them in the dishwasher. Not rinsing could save 6,500 gallons of water per year.
Using the garbage disposal requires a lot of water. Instead, put food waste in a compost pile, which reduces the need for fertilizer.
Water in the cool morning hours to reduce evaporation and aim sprinklers at plants. Use drip hoses where appropriate.
GregoryKarp, The (Allentown, Pa.) Morning Call