Typical indoor water usage for Yuba City residents is approximately 120 gallons per person per day, 3600 gallons per person per month! So where does your water go? According to the Water Education Foundation typical indoor water usage is categorized as follows:
You can follow these easy indoor tips to help ensure that your household uses water wisely:
Use your washing machine and dishwasher only for full loads
Did you know that a standard showerhead uses 5 gallons per minute? Install a low flow showerhead, which only uses 2 gallons per minute, and try to keep your showers limited to 5 minutes.
Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator to reduce water waste while waiting for the water to cool.
Turning off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving can save approximately 10 gallons a day.
Don’t use the toilet as a wastebasket! Traditional non-efficient toilets (pre-1990 models) use 3.5-5 gallons or more per flush.
Replacing non-efficient toilets with an ultra low flush toilet can save 38 gallons per day. That adds up to 19,000 gallons per year per toilet!
Don’t let water run while rinsing vegetables and dishes. Before rinsing put the sink stopper in place instead of running the water.
Defrost food in the refrigerator instead of using running water.
Check all pipes, faucets and toilets for leaks. A faucet drip or invisible leak in the toilet can add up to 20 gallons per day. Large leaks can waste hundreds of gallons per day.
Install low flow faucet aerators. Older faucets use between 3 -7 gallons per minute. Low flow aerators use no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Aerator’s are inexpensive and can be attached to your existing faucet.
ACTIVITY
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INEFFICIENT USE
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EFFICIENT USE
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Shower
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Older styleshower headsuse 5-7 gallons per minute. Average 8 minute shower = 48 – 56 gallons.
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Low flow showerhead using 2 gallons per minute with a 5 minute shower = 10 gallons.
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Brushing Teeth
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Older style faucet, tap running 1 minute = 5 gallons
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Low flow faucet aerator, Wet brush and rinse = 1/8 gallon
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Bath Tub
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Full Tub = 35 gallons
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Minimal water level w/ less than half the tub filled = 10 gallons
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Shaving
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Older style faucet, tap running 3 minutes = 15 gallons
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Low flow faucet aerator, plug water in sink basin = 1 gallon
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Washing Dishes
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Older style faucet, tap running 5 minutes = 25 gallons
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Tap off while washing, sink ½ full with a rinse bowl = 5 gallons
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Washing Hands
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Older style faucet, tap running 1 minute = 5 gallons
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Tap off while washing = ¼ gallon
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Toilet Flushing
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Older style tank (pre -1990) = 3-7 gallons
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Low flush toilet = 1.6 gallons
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Washing Machine
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Older style = 40 gallons per load
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Efficient model = 25 gallons
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Automatic Dishwasher
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Full cycle = 25 gallons
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Short Cycle = 12 gallons
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Drinking Water
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Run older style faucet 1 minute until water cools = 5 gallons
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Keep water in a container in the refrigerator = 1/8 gallon
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