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November 20, 2009  |  Login
The First Step to Helping Our Water Go Longer: Conservation
By Eric Corey Freed
 
When it comes to water, Americans are extremely spoiled. If you live in the United States, you expect that, when you turn on your faucet, clean drinking water will always stream out. The typical U.S. household uses 293 gallons of water a day. When you compare that to the 5 gallons used by the typical home in Africa, you realize how Americans take water for granted.

In reality, most of the water Americans use is wasted. Here are some of the obvious activities that waste water:

  • Running the faucet while you shave or brush your teeth
  • Running the faucet or shower until the water becomes hot
  • Taking long showers

The most important and easiest way to lower water use is through conservation. And conservation begins with finding ways to use less water.

Some simple changes to your behavior can add up to an immense saving in the amount of water you use. Look at how much water you can save just by doing these simple things:

  • Turning off the water while brushing your teeth: 4 to 6 gallons
  • Not letting the faucet run until the water is hot: 2 to 4 gallons
  • Taking a 10-minute shower instead of a 20-minute shower: 25 to 50 gallons

A leaky faucet that loses one drop of water per second adds up to 16 bathtubs of water a month.

Click "Next" below to check out our articles on specific building and remodeling choices you can make when it comes to toilets, showers, and water heaters that will help you conserve water in your home.

 
 
 
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