Co-Owner · August 5, 2020
Water efficiency and conservation saves you money, limits contamination of local water, and extends the lifespan of your septic system.
How it works
All the water your household uses goes down the pipes and into the septic system. Using less water, or using it smarter, helps you avoid trouble like an overloaded or failed system, drain field problems, clogged pipes, and dirty local water.
Heavy water use overloads your septic system and keeps it from treating wastewater. That can cause drain field trouble (soggy spots in the yard, sewage smells, and so on), and dirty water that soaks into the soil can reach local water sources.
Crazy, right!?
How much water your home uses
It varies depending a number of factors, such as how many people are living in your household, your daily water usage habits, and how efficient your appliances are, but a typical single-family home averages nearly 8,000 gallons of indoor water usage per month, and a leaky sink or running toilet can waste as much as 200 gallons of water per day.
Ways to save water at home
Laundry
- Use the proper load size settings on your washing machine to avoid wasting water and energy.
- Here's a no-brainer: use the water or energy saving settings on your washing machine.
- Don't do all the laundry in one day. It seems like a time-saver, but it doesn't give your septic tank time to treat the waste, and it can flood your drain field.
Dishes
- Don’t leave water running when cleaning dishes by hand.
- Run your dishwasher when it’s full to make the most of the water used in each cycle.
- Take advantage of water and energy saving features.
Flushing
- The toilet is often a household’s most problematic source of wastewater, so avoid unnecessarily flushing trash that should instead be disposed of in your waste bin.
- Consider replacing your current toilet with a high-efficiency model to reduce water waste.
Personal habits and other tips
- Take a shower instead of a bath when you can. One bath can use about 60 gallons of water, and a shower only takes about 25 to 35 gallons.
- Don’t leave the water running while brushing your teeth.
- Regularly check for leaks, dripping faucets, or running toilets, and make sure they are fixed in a timely manner.
- Collect rain water to later be utilized for watering indoor/outdoor plants.
- Avoid overwatering your lawn and monitor your sprinklers. 30-60 percent of domestic drinking water is used for watering yards and gardens, and often large portions are wasted by over-watering, evaporation, and misdirected sprinklers.