Drought Measures that Residents Can take:
In the Bathroom:
- Avoid continually running the water while brushing teeth, shaving and washing hands.
- Showers (take them instead of baths):
- Challenge yourself to spend less time in the shower.
- Install a showerhead that allows you to pause water flow while shampooing, conditioning, etc.
- Consider low-flow or dual-flush toilets when replacing them or, if replacement isn’t feasible, consider using a water displacement device such as a bottle filled with sand to decrease the amount of water in the toilet tank.
- A standard toilet typically uses 6L of water per flush, but older toilets (manufactured before 1992) can use 13-26L of water per flush.
- A low-flow toilet typically uses approximately 5L of water per flush.
- A dual-flow toilet typically uses 3-5L of water per flush.
- In all cases, consider flushing your toilet less.
In the Kitchen:
- While waiting for hot water to wash dishes, capture the lukewarm water for watering plants, filling humidifiers, etc.
- Fill water jugs to store in the fridge for cold drinking water instead of running the water until it is cold.
- Only rinse dishes destined for the dishwasher when necessary and only run the dishwasher when it is full.
- Consider composting kitchen waste instead of using your garbage disposal. See the Outdoor Water Saving Ideas Section for more on this.
In General:
- Repair plumbing leaks – dripping faucets, showerheads, leaking toilets, etc.
- Only run the washing machine for full loads of laundry.