# Final Post: Reducing Water Use At Home

Water usage has become one of the World’s most pressing issues. Droughts have become more prevalent, water is being polluted, and rising populations have made water scarcer. Many people think that the issue can only be addressed at large-scale levels. This is not the case. Even from the comfort of their own home, everyday citizens can do their part to reduce water-usage. By implementing some simple new items, how much can you reduce your household’s water consumption?

Think about how much water you use at home every day. Every time you flush the toilet, wash your hands, brush your teeth, do the laundry, water the plants, or fill up your dogs bowl, water is used. There are a few very simple things you can do to reduce water use without having to buy anything. While brushing your teeth, turn off the faucet while actually brushing and only turn it on to wash. Instead of letting the water run while rubbing your hands, keep it off until you need to wash the soap off. I measured how much water I use when brushing my teeth with the faucet running the whole time and measured 15 cups. When I turned off the faucet while brushing, I only used two cups! Considering I brush twice per day, that results in a savings of 13,140 cups of water per year.

$18 cups\times2 per day\times365 days=13,140 cups per year$

I also measured that I use seven cups of water when washing my hands when the sink is on the hole time, but only three cups when I rub my hands with soap when the water is off. I wash my hands seven times per day on average, resulting in savings of 10,220 cups per year.

$4 cups\times7 per day\times365 days=10,220 cups per year$

By simply doing these two things, I could save 23,360 cups of water per year.

There are a few items you could purchase that drastically reduce household water usage. The Earth Massage Showerhead can reduce water usage by 10,000 gallons per year. The 9-jet stream releases only 1.5 gallons per minute. An Adjustable Toilet Flapper can reduce 5-7 gallon per flush toilets by 2.5 gallons, reducing toilet water usage by 6,400 gallons per year. Finally, a Front-Load Washer uses 50 percent less water than a typical washer. This saves 6,390 gallons per year. In addition, less water use means less electricity use, so it is a win-win situation.

In total, these three items can save households 22,790 gallons. State College water costs $4.30 per 1,000 gallons. $22,790 gallons\div 1,000 gallons\times 4.30=98 per year$ Purchasing those three items (including three toilet flaps for all toilets in the house) costs$675.80. However, by saving \$98 per year with the reduced water usage, you would get your money back in seven years!

$675.80\div 98\approx 7 years$

Saving water goes a long way for homeowners. Besides its beneficial environmental impact, it also saves money! Household water conservation is an easy thing that can help our world in many ways.

Bibliography

Source 1: eartheasy, “Water conservation at home” Relevant claims: Lists 25 ways to conserve water at home. Credibility: Good. The website provides links to back up its claims

Source 2: eartheasy shop, “Earth Massage Showerhead” Relevant claims: The showerhead can reduce water use by 10,000 gallons per yer; 1.5 GPM. Credibility: Fair. Trying to promote an item

Source 3: eartheasy shop, “Adjustable Toilet Flap” Relevant claims: Can reduce water use by 2.5 gallons per flush. Credibilty: Fair: Trying to promote a product.

Source 4: eartheasy shop, “Front-Load Washer” Relevant claims: Can reduce water use by 50 percent per wash. Credibility: Fair. Trying to promote a product.

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