In 1986, MWRA customers used a total of 330 million gallons of water per day.
Thanks to every-day water conservation efforts, demand has been reduced to about 200 million gallons per day (last five-years average).
Saving water keeps supplies level and has helped residents control their water, sewer and energy costs.
Below are some easy ways to save water at home.
Go to Water Conservation and Efficiency Main Page
In the Bathroom
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving: save 1-2 gallons per minute
- Never use your toilet as a wastebasket: save 1-7 gallons per flush
- Don't take marathon showers: five minutes will get you clean. Save 2-4 gallons per minute
- Fill your bathtub only halfway: save 5 gallons or more. You will save hot water costs, too
How to Find and Fix Leaks
Dripping or trickling faucets and showerheads can waste from 75 to several hundred gallons of water a week depending on the size of the drip. Worn-out washers are the main cause of these leaks and a new one generally costs about 50 cents.
Faucets typically use 2 to 7 gallons per minute. Installing a low-flow (1.5-gallon per minute) faucet aerator can reduce the flow significantly. Be sure to remove your aerator periodically to clean the particles that may have collected in the screen.
A leaky faucet is pretty obvious. But hidden leaks in the toilet, under the sink, or behind a washing machine can waste a significant amount of water. And they could be damaging your floors or ceilings too. Take a reading of your water meter. Wait an hour, making sure no one uses any water in your home. Check it again. If the reading has changed, you have got at least one leak and you need to investigate.
That trickling sound you hear in the bathroom could be a leaky toilet wasting 50 gallons of water a day or more. But sometimes it leaks silently. Try this:
Crush a dye tablet in its envelope and carefully empty the contents into the center of the toilet tank and allow it to dissolve. Wait about 10 minutes. Inspect the toilet bowl for signs of blue dye indicating a leak.
If the dye has appeared in the bowl, your flapper or flush valve may need to be replaced. Parts are inexpensive and fairly easy to replace. If no dye has appeared in 10 minutes time, you probably don't have a leak.
Water-Efficient Appliances
Thinking about replacing that old, worn-out clothes washing machine? High efficiency clothes washers save water, energy and space in your home. Most are front-end loaders that use tumbling action to get clothes clean. Look for the Energy Star Label to ensure that you're buying the most efficient product possible. Consider this:
High efficiency clothes washers use 30% - 50% less water, that's 5,000 gallons per year!
They use 50% - 60% less energy to run.
They require 1/3 less detergent.
Your clothes will get less wear and tear in a high efficiency washer.
They'll need less time in the dryer, too.
You can spend less money on water and spend less time in the kitchen if you switch to a high-efficiency dishwasher. Again, the Energy Star label will point you to the best water savers. High-efficiency dishwashers use about 6-10 gallons of water per load of dishes (some use as little as 3.7 gallons!). Compare that to 9-12 gallons per load for average dishwashers and 20 gallons for hand washing. Many models require little or no pre-rinsing of dishes – that's more water and time saved.
Save Energy, Too!
High efficiency clothes washers and dishwashers save water and save energy. They can cost a bit more to purchase but you'll enjoy significant savings on your water and energy bills that will really add up over time.
EPA's Energy Star website lists participating manufacturers.
Water-Efficient Toilets
The toilet is the single biggest water user in your home. Flushing accounts for about one-third of the water used within your home each day.
Replacing an old model toilet with a new low-consumption toilet could automatically and permanently cut your home water consumption by 25% or more.
The Massachusetts State Plumbing Code requires that all new or replacement installations of two-piece tank-type and floor-mounted flushometer toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. These toilets are called low-flow, low-consumption or low-flush.
Information provided by the EPA WaterSense Program can help inform purchase decisions. This information will be useful, but should not substitute for the professional judgment of a licensed plumber or engineer.
How Much Water Does a Low-Flow Toilet Save?
Whether you replace one toilet in a single bathroom or several hundred toilets in a large commercial or residential complex, you can expect to see significant savings. For example, replacing a typical 3.5-gallon toilet with a 1.6 gallon model will save a family of four 11,096 gallons of water per year. That's a 54% reduction in toilet water use. The more water the toilet you're replacing uses, the more water and money you'll save.
Toilets are by far the main source of water use in the home, accounting for about one-third of residential indoor water consumption. Toilets also happen to be a major source of wasted water due to leaks and/or inefficiency. WaterSense ®, a program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is helping consumers identify high performance, water-efficient toilets that can reduce water use in the home and help preserve the nation's water resources. MWRA is an EPA Watersense Partner.
Advancements have allowed toilets to use 20 percent less water than the current federal standard, while still providing equal or superior performance. The WaterSense label is used on toilets that are certified by independent laboratory testing to meet rigorous criteria for both performance and efficiency. Only high-efficiency toilets that complete the third-party certification process can earn the WaterSense label.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) designs minimum performance tests and standards for low-flow toilets. Make sure you choose a model that meets these standards. Several excellent studies have been conducted. Here is a list of resources for more information.
| References - More Information About Low-Flow Toilets |
|---|
| US EPA Watersense Labeled Toilets |
| TLC - How Stuff Works Ultimate Guide to Low-flow Toilets |
| Love Plumbing and Remodel Terry Love's Report on Low-flow Toilets for Consumers |
| toiletology.com Toiletology 101 ™ |
Consider which of the residential low-flow toilet types is best for your home:
Gravity Toilets are the most common. Water is stored in a tank and when flushed, the water is released through a flapper valve and driven by gravity to clear out the bowl. These toilets require approximately 10-15 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure at the connection to function properly. Gravity toilets are relatively inexpensive, ranging from $100-$200.
Pressure-Assisted Toilets are hybrids of gravity and flush valve toilets. A pressurized tank placed inside the porcelain tank compresses a pocket of air and releases pressurized water into the bowl and out the trapway at high velocity. The flushing action of these toilets is noisier than the gravity types’, and they require a minimum water pressure of 25 psi to operate properly. Prices for these toilets are usually over $200.
Flushometer Toilets are found in most commercial buildings. They have no tank but rely instead on a pressure-operated valve directly connected to the building’s water supply. They require a large supply pipe and a minimum water pressure of 23-40 psi to operate well. These toilets are priced at about $300.