In recognition of the fact that summertime water use doubles, just when it is needed most to support fish in streams, and to ensure there is enough water for public safety and a healthy domestic water supply, the NSRWA created the WaterSmart water conservation and protection program. The Massachusetts recommendation for residential water usage is 65 gallons per person per day. To help you to be more WaterSmart, here are some water saving tips.
Water Conservation Tips
1. Know how much water you use and use your water bill to track conservation goals. Click here for our water calculator.
2. Test your toilet for leaks with dye or other leak detection kits.
3. Retrofit faucets with low-flow aerators – 0.5-1.0 gpm for bathrooms and 1.5gpm for kitchen sinks.
4. Upgrade toilet to a low flush model, use a brick in a plastic bag or a displacement bag to reduce flush rate to 1.2 or 1 gallon per flush..
5. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. By turning off the tap while you brush your teeth in the morning and at night, you can save up to 8 gallons of water! That adds up to more than 200 gallons a month.
6. Take short showers instead of baths. Shortening your shower time by just two minutes can save more than ten gallons of water.
7. Capture rain water with a rain barrel for outdoor watering.
8. Plant drought tolerant native plants that require minimal (if any) watering.
9. Convert your lawn to drought tolerant grasses and plants so you don’t have to water.
10. Only use the garbage disposal when necessary (composting is a great alternative).
Download our 16-page Greenscapes Guide – With tips on how to create a beautiful healthy yard the natural way. (After filling out the online form you will be redirected to the guide.)
Are you WaterSmart? Whether it’s in our homes, at our businesses or on our streets, we can all do our part to keep our water clean, plentiful, and affordable. We can all be WaterSmart.
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.
- Dumpster Maintenance and Waste Materials
- Gardening Green Expo 2024
- Greenscapes
- How to Build a Rain Garden
- Indoor Water Conservation
- Low Impact Development
- Parking Lot Maintenance
- Pet Waste Education
- Plant a Monarch Garden
- Rain Barrel and Composter Sale
- School Programs
- Septic Systems
- Sign Our Water For People Not Lawns Pledge
- Stormwater
- Water Conservation Tips
- Watersmart Business
