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Save Water, Save Money

Many, if not all, counties in North Carolina tend to enter a stage of drought during the summer months. That means you need to know how get serious about implementing water-saving techniques. Follow these 10 tips, and not only will you help your area conserve water, but you'll save yourself some money, too.

  1. Check faucets and toilets for leaks—they can account for up to 15 percent of all household water use. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak. Find it and fix it!
  2. Place a water-filled bottle or brick in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water needed to fill it.
  3. Take short showers instead of baths. A bathtub holds up to 50 gallons of water, while a five-minute shower uses 10-20 gallons. Short showers also conserve energy used for heating hot water.
  4. Install low-flow fixtures. Toilets will conserve up to four gallons per flush, while showerheads and faucet aerators can reduce water flow by up to 50 percent.
  5. Wait until you have a full load of dishes or laundry to wash a load. Running the dishwasher uses around 25 gallons of water per wash; the washing machine uses anywhere from 30-35 gallons.
  6. Buy or build a rain barrel. These are simple devices that catch rainwater runoff from your gutters. Then use this supply for watering your lawn or garden.
  7. Mulch your plants. A couple of inches of mulch not only helps the soil retain moisture for your plants, but it also protects roots and inhibits weeds.
  8. Set lawn mower blades an inch or two higher. Taller grass means less evaporation and less need to water the lawn.
  9. Cut down on washing your car at home. If you must wash it, go to a commercial car wash where computer controlled systems and high-pressure nozzles and pumps minimize water usage. Many also recycle and reuse the rinse water.
  10. Share water conservation information with friends and neighbors. Others will be surprised that just a few easy changes can make a big difference.

Cutting back on the amount of water you use may seem like a difficult task at first, but once the habits kick in—and your utility bills begin to go down—you'll probably find conserving water is something you'll want to do year-round.