Conserving Water Inside Your Home
When the weather cools and outdoor water usage slows or stops, the average Holland water use per household is a little over 5,000 gallons per month.
Indoor water use in a home includes activities such as bathing, showering, washing dishes, doing laundry, and flushing toilets. These daily tasks account for a significant portion of household water consumption, with toilets and showers using the most water. Efficient fixtures, mindful habits, and regular maintenance can help reduce water waste and lower utility bills.
Learn more about your water use on the EPA's site.
WaterSense
WaterSense is a program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that provides consumers with information about the water efficiency of the products they purchase. Similar to ENERGY STAR, WaterSense offers a label on products such as faucets and sprinklers to help you identify more efficient solutions. Many of our recommendations include looking for WaterSense or ENERGY STAR labels.
Understanding your Home’s Water Use
Every home has different water use depending on the number of people who live there and what their habits are. In general, the major uses of water for all homes are listed below, but you may find that your home has other water uses not listed here.
Learn how your water use translates into what you pay on your monthly bill by visiting the link below.
Toilets
Toilets often use the most water indoors, depending on the age and condition of your toilets. In general, here are some tips to reduce unnecessary water use:
- Replace Old Toilets - Toilets sold after 1994 use 1.6 gallons-per-flush (gpf) or less, while older models may use as much as 7 gallons-per flush! WaterSense labeled toilets use 1.28 gpf or less.
- Use Tank Banks - If you have a toilet that was installed before 1994, you can insert a tank bank to decrease its water use by 0.8 gallons per flush. You can pick up a free tank bank in the lobby of the Service Center.
- Check for Leaks - A running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water every day. That’s enough water to fill a small hot tub! To check for toilet leaks, put a toilet leak detection dye tab in your toilet tank before going to bed. If your bowl is blue in the morning, your toilet is leaking. The culprit is often a worn-out “flapper” that can be easily replaced for a few dollars. You can pick up free leak detector dye tablets in the lobby of the Service Center.
- Toilets Are Not for Trash - Please do not flush items like baby wipes (even those labeled “flushable”), tampons, or cotton swabs. These items should go in the trash. Unused or expired medications should be taken to designated medication disposal sites.
Faucets
You probably use water-efficient faucets multiple times a day and don’t even notice. Water saving technologies like aerators don’t negatively impact routine tasks like hand washing or brushing your teeth.
- Water Use Per Minute - Standard faucets use 2.2 gallons of water per minute (gpm), while more efficient WaterSense faucets use no more than 1.5 gpm.
- Water Savings = Energy Savings – Just as with showers, using less hot water from your faucet equates to energy savings. If you need only a quick splash of water, use the cold tap instead of the hot. It's likely that the hot water from your water heater will not reach you by the time you turn the tap off. The heat will dissipate through the pipe and the water heater will need to re-heat that water next time.
- Smart Use – Turn off the tap when you aren’t actively using water, like when brushing your teeth or shaving.
Clothes Washer
Washing clothes can easily use the most water indoors for some families, so it is important to select water-efficient machines and use thoughtful cycle settings to reduce water and energy use.
- Water Use Per Minute - Clothes washers use around 2-4 gallons of water per minute during a typical wash cycle. That can total up to 45 gallons of water per load. ENERGY STAR certified washers use about 33% less water and 25% less energy than standard models.
- Machine Styles and Options - Front load washers are often more water-efficient than top-load types. When in doubt, look for models with a low Integrated Water Factor (IWF). The lower the IWF, the more water-efficient the machine. Washing machines with a high integrated modified energy factor (IMEF) will be the most energy efficient.
- Wash Full Loads - New washing machines automatically adjust the amount of water needed based on the weight of the laundry, but it is always a good idea to wash full loads in cold water. This saves you the cost of heating water that may not be necessary to adequately clean your clothes.
- Other Tips - Avoid using an extra rinse cycle unless absolutely necessary, and pre-treat stains instead of rewashing clothes.
Leaks
Toilet leaks are common, but other obvious and “invisible” leaks can occur in your home and artificially increase your water bill.
A good comprehensive way to check your home for water leaks is to turn off all known water uses and then keep an eye on your water meter. Check the volume reading or usage dial to make sure it does not move over 20-30 minutes. If the reading or dial does not move, it’s unlike that you have a major leak.
Another way to monitor for possible leaks is to use the Holland BPW customer portal to review your home’s daily water use readings. Check the days when you are out of town or not expecting your home to use water to see if there is any use.
Other
The applications described above are the largest water users in an average home, but there are other types of water use worth noting and using efficiently if possible:
- Dishwashers - Dishwashers are more water-efficient than handwashing when used properly. A standard dishwasher uses about 6 gallons per cycle, while ENERGY STAR® certified models use as little as 3.2 gallons per cycle—that’s less than a pint of water per minute.
- Cooking – Follow recommendations on recipes or food packaging to avoid over-filling pots when cooking things like pasta that require boiling water. Extra water in the pot just goes down the drain, and the added time needed to heat it to a boil uses more energy in the form of gas or electricity. Steaming vegetables uses less water than boiling them.
Outdoor Water Use
There are many ways to save water inside and outside your house. Click the button below to discover more ways to conserve water in your front and back yard.
