· 

Saving water around the 

home is simple and smart. 

The average household 

spends as much as $500 

per year on its water and 

sewer bill but could save 

about $170 per year by 

retrofitting with waterefficient fixtures and 

incorporating watersaving practices. 

Let WaterSense® 

show you how 

to save water— 

and your wallet. 

How much money you 

save will depend on the 

cost of water where you 

live, but it makes sense that using 

less water lowers your utility bill. 

More importantly, using less water 

preserves this limited resource for 

generations to come. 

Simple Steps
 

to 

Save Water
 

(866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) 

www.epa.gov/watersense watersense@epa.gov 

Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 

100% Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper. 

March 2008 EPA-832-F-07-011 
Inside 

the Home 

By giving your bathroom a water efficiency makeover 

with WaterSense labeled toilets and faucets, you could 

save more than 11,000 gallons annually—and that’s no 

drop in the bucket. 

Get Flush With Savings	 entire faucet with a WaterSense labeled 

model. Either way, you can increase the ● Consider installing a WaterSense faucet’s efficiency by 30 percent without labeled toilet, which uses 20 percent sacrificing performance. less water while offering equal or 

superior performance. Compared to ● Repair dripping faucets and showerheads. A 

older, inefficient models, WaterSense drip rate of one drip per second can waste 

labeled toilets could save a family of more than 3,000 gallons per year. 


four more than $90
 

annually on its water
 Clean Up With Savings 

utility bill, and $2,000 ● A full bathtub can require up to 70 gallons over the lifetime of the of water, while taking a 5-minute shower toilets. uses only 10 to 25 gallons. 

● Check for toilet leaks by adding food Turning off the tap while you brush your coloring to the tank. If the toilet is ●

teeth can save 8 gallons per day. leaking, color will appear in the bowl
 

within 15 minutes. (Make sure to flush
 Lighten Your Loads as soon as the test is done, since food 

coloring can stain the tank.) Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes or ●

lower the water settings for smaller loads. 

Accessorize Your Faucet ● Replace your old washing machine with a ● Installing a WaterSense labeled aerator high-efficiency, ENERGY STAR® labeled 

is one of the most cost-effective ways to model, which uses up to 50 percent less 

save water. Also consider replacing the water and electricity. 

The average single-family suburban home uses at least 30 percent of its water for
 

outdoor purposes such as irrigation and as much as 70 percent in dry climates.
 

Some experts estimate that more than 50 percent of landscape water is wasted due
 

to evaporation, wind, or overwatering. 

Water When Needed 

● Water your lawn or garden during the cool 

morning hours, as opposed to midday, to 

reduce evaporation. 

● Look for sprinklers that produce droplets, 

not mist, or use soaker hoses or trickle irrigation for trees and shrubs. 

● Set sprinklers to water lawns and gardens 

only. Check that you’re not watering the 

street or sidewalk. 

● Try not to overwater your landscaping. 

Learn plants’ water needs and water 

different types appropriately. 

Grow Green Grass 

● Don’t overfertilize. You will increase the 

lawn’s need for water. 

● Raise your lawn mower blade to at least 

3 inches. Taller grass promotes deeper 

roots, shades the root system, and 

holds soil moisture better than a 

closely cropped lawn. 

Garden With Care 

● Plant climate-appropriate species. 

Try plants that are native to where 

you live, which don’t require as much 

water, and group plants together by 

water requirements. 

● Use mulch around trees and plants to 

help reduce evaporation and control 

water-stealing weeds. 

Outside
 

the Home