You Can Lower Your Water Bill with these 4 Easy Steps

Every resident of Las Vegas, NV knows how precious a resource water is, and we all want to do our part to conserve it. The good news is that every step you take to conserve water in your home is also a step toward a lower water bill, and this means more money in your pocket at the end of the year.

On average, American families use about 300 gallons of water each day, and today we’re going to tell you four easy ways you can reduce your water use and lower your bills.

1. Check for and Fix Leaks

To find leaks around the house, start by checking the faucets, shower heads, and visible pipes for drips. Then go around to all the toilets and put a few drops of food coloring in the tanks. Wait 30 minutes, and then check to see if the color has leaked into the bowl (this indicates a leak).

Finally, check your walls, ceilings, and floors for warping, wetness, discoloration, and other signs that there's a plumbing leak in a nearby pipe. When you do find leaks, fix them immediately or call an expert to address the situation to save roughly 10,000 gallons of water or more every year.

2. Stop Washing the Car Out Front

For many people, handwashing the car in the driveway is a great way to spend a hot summer day, but when your goal is to conserve water and reduce your water bills, and then you might want to skip this summer ritual.

Instead of washing the car in the driveway, where you'll use at least 100 gallons for each wash, take your car to a professional car wash, where they’ll use a fraction of the water.

3. Stop Wasting Perfectly Good Greywater

Most American families use over 200 gallons of water every day inside, plus another 90 outside. But by recycling indoor water, you can drastically reduce your outdoor water use.

Here's how it works: when you wash your hands, do dishes, clean clothes, bathe, cook, or use water for other purposes (anything aside from washing diapers or going to the toilet), you can collect this water and reuse it to water flowers, the lawn, and other plants.

4. Unplug the Tub and Take a Shower

If the shower versus bath debate has ever come up in your house, we’re here to help you solve it once and for all. When it comes to water conservation, showering is the undisputed winner, and here's why:

• The average bath requires 70 gallons of water to fill
• A five-minute shower will use 25 gallons or less
• A five-minute shower with a low-flow shower head will use as little as 10 gallons

With this in mind, here are some more numbers to help explain why showering is the obvious choice for water-conscious homes (for a family of four):

• Each shower will save you between 45 and 60 gallons of water compared to the bath
• In a single day, your family could save 180 to 240 gallons of water
• In a year, you could save nearly 90,000 gallons by taking low-flow showers instead of baths

Saving water in the home isn't just a responsibility we have to the planet, but also one we have to future generations. Moreover, saving water will also result in lower water bills, and what better reward is there for good behavior? With these four simple steps, you'll turn your household into a model of water-conscious habits, do your part for the environment, and finish each year with more money in your bank.