Indoor Conservation
 
 
 

Indoor Water Conservation

The amount of water that we actually drink is very insignificant – about 0.1% of our total water use. We use water for cooking, cleaning, bathing and laundry. 30 to 40 percent of Greeley's Water is used inside of the house.

Efficient Indoor Watering

Saving Water in the Bathroom
Saving Water in the Kitchen
Saving Water in the Laundry Room
Saving Water in the Around the House
Water Conservation Rebates
Water Conservation@Work: Commercial Program
Toilets 
Fix a Leak

Saving Water in the Bathroom

Inside the home, the largest water user is the toilet. If you have a pre 1980 toilet you may be flushing 5-7 gallons of water every time you flush. On top of the toilets using most of the water, about 50 percent of them have leaks. Can you hear your toilet running? That is water leaking into the bowl. Even if you don't have a running toilet, you can have a leak. A leaking toilet can waste more than 50 gallons of water each day and a dripping faucet or showerhead can waste up to 1,000 gallons per week.

  • Take shorter showers. A 5-minute shower will save water. Low-volume showerheads use only 2 gallons of water each minute; older models may use as much as 3 gallons per minute. Turn the shower off when soaping up and turn it back on to rinse off.

  • Take a shallow bath. Limit tub water to 3 inches.

  • Don't let the water run when you brush your teeth, shave or wash your face. You can save up to 8 gallons a day by implementing this water saving tip.

  • Check toilets for leaks on an annual basis. Free dye tablets are available at the cashier's desk at City Hall, 1000 10th Street or at the Water Department: 1100 10th Street, Suite 300. If you don't have a dye tablet you can use blue food coloring instead. To check your toilet for leaks:
      • First, lift the lid of the toilet tank.
      • Next, drop the dye tab or 10 drops of food coloring into the tank.
      • Leave it sit for at least 20 minutes. Do not flush the toilet.
      • When you come back, check if the blue color shows up in the bowl. If you see the blue dye, your toilet is leaking.

  • If a toilet leak is found , please repair it as soon as possible. Most toilet leaks can be fixed by changing out the flapper inside of the tank. Chlorine in the water or chloromines in cleaners will degrade the rubber and break the seal between the tank and the bowl. Flappers are available at hardware or plumbing repair stores for less than 5 dollars. If you can't fix the toilet yourself call a plumber.

  • Don't use the toilet as an ashtray or a wastebasket.

  • Replace your old toilet with a new one that uses less water per flush. Toilets can use as much as 5 gallons per flush, while low-volume toilets use only 1.6 gallons per flush. Greeley Water Customers are eligible for $50 dollar rebates on toilets . Get more information on the Water Conservation Rebate Program .

  • Showerheads, faucets and toilets that must be replaced due to normal wear-and-tear should be replaced with low-volume models, which are widely available. Replace faucets that use 2.5 to 7 gallons per minute with those that use only 1.5. In most cases, low-volume faucet aerators can be installed when the entire faucet does not need replacing.

  • Installing toilet tank displacement devices, such as toilet dams, bags or weighted bottles will save water when you flush the toilet. Only use these type of things, if your toilet was installed and/or manufactured before the mid-1990s. At home, you can use an empty 1 or 2 liter pop bottle (you may have to experiment which works best). Fill the bottom 1-3" with pea gravel for weight, then top off with water. Use this as a displacement device in your tank. The 1-2 liters of space that the bottle takes up would otherwise be flushed down the drain each time. The Water Department also has displacement bags that hold one gallon of water and will do the same thing. Toilet Dams will also displace up to a gallon of water each time you flush depending on where you can located them in the toilet tank.

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Saving Water in the Kitchen

  • Only run full loads in the dishwasher.

  • If you wash your dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing. If you have two sinks, fill one with soapy water and one with rinse water. If you only have one sink, gather the washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them with a spray device or a pan full of hot water.

  • Presoak utensils and dishes in a sink filled with water or in a basin of water, rather than in running water.

  • Install an aerator or flow restrictor in the faucet.

  • Use your sink garbage disposal sparingly. Better, yet---compost garbage.

  • Thaw frozen food in your refrigerator or microwave, not under running water.

  • Rinse vegetables in a sink or basin. Don't let the water run.

  • Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of waiting for the water to get cold before you fill your glass.

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Saving Water in the Laundry Room

  • Only run full loads in the washing machine.

  • Use the load selector to match the water level to the size of load.

  • Use a cold-water rinsing cycle. Use warm water instead of hot whenever possible.

  • New front-loading washers use about 2/3 less water than traditional machines. On average, front loaders cut the water required to wash a load by about 15 gallons. One industry leader estimates that households laundering an average of nine loads per week can save $100 a year in electricity bills and 7,000 gallons of water with a good front-loading machine. To put that in perspective, 7,000 gallons is the amount an average person drinks in a lifetime.

  • The City of Greeley offers $100 rebates on the most water conserving washing machines on the market. Get complete details on our rebate program web page .

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Saving Water Around the House

Studies show that dripping faucets and leaking toilets account for as much as 15 percent of all indoor water use. A leaking toilet can waste more than 50 gallons of water each day, and a dripping faucet or showerhead can waste up to 1,000 gallons per week! If you can't fix a plumbing problem on your own, call a professional to take care of it.

  • Fix all leaky toilets, faucets, hoses and pipes. Use your water meter to check for leaks in your home. Start by turning off all faucets and water-using appliances and make sure no one uses water during the testing period. Take a reading on your water meter, wait for about 30 minutes, then take a second reading. If the dial has moved, you have a leak.

  • Catch the water coming from the faucet while you are waiting for it to get hot or cold. Use it to water plants, fill your washing machine or humidifier or to top off fish tanks.

  • If you don't finish a glass of drinking water, don't dump it down the drain. You can put in a household plant, put it in a pet's water bowl, or save it and drink the rest later.

  • Be sure all hoses have shut-off nozzles.

  • Use a broom, rather than a hose , to clear sidewalks, driveways, and patios.

  • Wash vehicles only when needed . Wash cars at the carwash, because it uses less water. You can wash a car with a bucket and hose with a positive shut off nozzle. If excessive water is running down the pavement or gutter, you may be cited for water waste.

  • When it snows, shovel the snow onto the landscape rather than a paved surface. Your lawn will benefit from the slow percolation of the snowmelt.

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