With water restrictions in place, a look at ways to cut down on your water bill
From coast to coast, water restrictions are in place as drought conditions worsen, affecting tens of millions of people.
While we are not struggling with drought conditions in the Triangle, you can still take steps to conserve water and cut down on your bill.
Do you know where your water comes from? In Raleigh the majority of the drinking comes from the Falls Lake Reservoir located in northern Wake County and is treated at the E.M. Johnson Water Treatment Plant. Right now it has 93 percent of its supply, that’s pretty good.
But why not try cutting down on water usage to reduce your bill? The EPA says outdoor watering accounts for almost 30 percent of household water use. Think about replacing some grass with mulch, ground cover or longer ornamental grasses that use far less water.
Dan Wroclawski with Consumer Reports says “instead of rinsing your driveway or desk, sweep it or use an electric leaf blower. And wash your car with a bucket of water instead of a running hose.”
Nearly 20 percent of indoor residential water use flows from the shower. A standard showerhead releases 2.5 gallons of water a minute. Consumer Reports says that replacing it with a low-flow Watersense-approved head that uses 2-gallons per minute or less can save 2,700 gallons a year.
You can save even more by limiting showers to five minutes or less, and turn off the water when shaving or brushing your teeth.
In the kitchen, you can soak pots and pans instead of scrubbing them under running water. A water-filtering pitcher in the refrigerator will prevent you from running the faucet for cold drinks.
And you can save water in the laundry room.
“If you have an 'HE' washer, use detergent for an 'HE' machine," said Wroclawski. "Regular detergents will create a lot of suds and will force an HE washer to use more water to get that soap out.”
Consumer Reports says that to check for a toilet leak, place a drop of food coloring in the tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, it’s leaking. That means it's probably time to replace the flapper or valve seal.
