The Massachusetts reccommendation for residential water usage is 65 gallons per person per day. To help you to be more WaterSmart, here are some water saving tips. Want to save water… and money? It’s easy. Just check out this list of simple things you can do today.
- Do you know how much water you use? Click here for our water calculator.
- Look at your water meter at night, then compare the reading in the morning – if there is a change (and no one used the restroom), you have leaks.
- Repair all water leaks immediately; be especially alert for leaks in toilets and faucets
- Install and maintain ultra-flow toilets or convert to low-flow units with a tank dam or displace water with bricks
- Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily – do not use toilets as wastebaskets or ashtrays
- Install and maintain flow restrictors (aerators) on faucets
- Install and maintain low-flow showerheads
- Place a bucket in the shower to catch excess water for watering plants later
- While waiting for running water to warm or cool, collect it and use it later on plants, for your pets, or for cleaning
- Limit showers to 5 minutes
- Turn off the water while shaving or brushing your teeth
- To thaw frozen food, skip the running tap water, instead use the microwave, a bowl of water, or the refrigerator overnight
- Scrape food off dishes before rinsing with water
- Start to compost as an alternate method of disposing of food waste – kitchen sink disposals use a lot of water
- Run the dishwasher only when it is fully loaded and always use the quick wash feature
- Run the washing machine only when it’s loaded to maximum capacity
- Rather than running the tap for cool drinking water, keep a container of cold water in the refrigerator
- Choose energy-efficient and water-efficient appliances
Additional Resources
Scituate Water Conservation Tips—Town of Scituate
Tips for Saving Water Indoors and Outdoors – Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
100+ Ways to Conserve Water – wateruseitwisely.com
Indoor Water Guzzlers and Tips to Fix! – Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense
Tips for Saving Water at Home—Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA)
The Ultimate Compost Guide – Robinsonloveplants.com
WaterSmart is a nonprofit partnership between the NSRWA and 12 towns on the South Shore: Cohasset, Duxbury, Hanover, Hingham, Hull, Kingston, Marshfield, Norwell, Pembroke, Rockland, Scituate and Weymouth. Our programs are based on the belief that education is key. Since its creation, WaterSmart has educated thousands of local school-age children, adults, and businesses on water conservation, stormwater pollution, where their water comes from, and how to care for it.
For more information, contact WaterSmart Program Manager Lori Wolfe, at lori@nsrwa.org or (781) 659-8168.
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