The news these days seem to be all about the current heat wave in the United States. Even in places like Ireland, which usually sees average temperatures this time of year around 64-68°F (17-20°C), they’ve had high temperatures reaching the low 30’s°C (86-89°F). In Ireland, previous high temperatures reaching 32°C were recorded in 1976. The highest temperature ever recorded in Ireland was 33.3°C (92°F) in 1887. News about high temperatures across the world have been making headlines. The Washington Post compiled a list of high temperature milestones from around the world.

With all this hot weather, many areas are instituting water restrictions. Water restrictions are usually put into place when there’s a combination of high temperatures and lack of rain for an extended period of time. While there currently aren’t any water restrictions here in Florida, it’s still a perfect time to think about how you can reduce your water use every day and help to conserve water.

Conserving Water in Your Home

There are some easy things you can do to conserve water in your home. Some of these things you’re probably already doing. Check out this website for more information on what you can do and how you can save.

• Install and use low-flow shower heads and water-flow-restrictor taps.
• Take shorter showers instead of taking a bath.
• Install a water efficient toilet.
• Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Scrape your plate instead of rinsing it before putting it in the dishwasher.
• Only run the dishwasher or washing machine when you have a full load.
• Plug the sink when washing dishes by hand and reuse that water elsewhere (i.e. water plants, use in toilet, etc.)
• Reuse towels when possible.
• Get water leaks fixed.

Even though these seem like small changes they can make a big difference. The average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water per day at home with about 70% of this use occurring inside the home. According to the US EPA, by installing low-flow shower heads, the average family can save up to 2,900 gallons of water a year. The average showerhead uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute so shortening your shower time can make a big difference. With any of these changes, you’ll be conserving water and saving money.

For more information on what Floridians are already doing to conserve water, check out these results from a survey by the Center for Public Issues Education.

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