Did you know the average Florida household uses over 130 gallons of water per day? This high-water use comes at a price, but conserving water will make sure we have plenty of water in the future. Give the following tips a try and watch your water usage shrink!

Water-efficient appliances, toilets, and shower heads

If it’s time to upgrade a household appliance or toilet, consider purchasing an energy and water efficient model. According to the EPA, switching to a high-efficiency toilet can save a family $2000 during the life of the toilet or 4000 gallons of water per year! Similarly, a low-flow shower head can greatly reduce your household water usage. The EPA has estimated that if every home in the U.S. used a low-flow shower head, we could save more than 250 billion gallons of water per year. That’s enough to supply more than 2.5 million homes with water for a year.

Evaluate your Irrigation Use

By far, the majority of our water usage is for lawn and landscape irrigation. Take time to assess your irrigation system. Is your timer working properly? Are there any leaks? Are the irrigation heads positioned properly? If you suspect an issue, reach out to your utility provider to see if they offer on-site evaluations. Consider installing a rain shut-off sensor if you don’t already have one. You can also re-think your landscaping. Proper landscape design with Florida Friendly plants can drastically minimize your landscape’s irrigation needs.

Use a Rain Barrel

Rain barrels collect rainwater that can then be used to water plants inside and out. To learn more, attend a rain barrel workshop at UF/IFAS Extension Osceola County. To see when then next class is and register, visit http://occeu.eventbrite.com

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