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— Water Dos and Don'ts —

• Individuals can do something about conserving and using water wisely!

• Avoid hazardous household products

• Don't misuse your household's sewage system

• Avoid pesticides/hazardous materials in your garden/yard

• Don't dump hazardous products into storm drains

• Don't sit back and just let things happen

Surrounded by seemingly unlimited freshwater resources, Floridians are the world's most profligate water users. In reality, our supplies of clean, usable water are limited, and we must learn to use them more wisely if we are to continue to enjoy the benefits they provide. Water conservation begins at home, and you can do your share by observing the following DOs and DON'TS in and around the house.

What better place to start to use water wisely than in our own homes. It's where we spend most of our time and where we have the most control over how things are done.
 

Source:  City of Hollywood, Public Utilities Department  Water Conservation Fact Sheet

In the kitchen

• Use an aerator and/or a water flow-reducer attachment in your sink faucets, to reduce your water usage.

• Be sure to always turn taps off tightly so they do not drip.

• Promptly repair any leaks in and around your taps and faucets. (One leak can waste several thousand liters of water per year.)

• When hand washing dishes, never run water continuously. Wash dishes in a partially filled sink, and then rinse them using the spray attachment on your faucet.

• If you have an electric dishwasher, use it only to wash full loads, and use the shortest cycle possible. Many dishwashers have a conserver/water-miser cycle.

• When cleaning fruit and vegetables, never do so under a continuously running tap. Wash them in a partially filled sink and then rinse them quickly under the tap.

• When boiling vegetables, save water by using just enough to cover them and use a tightly fitting pot lid.

• Keep a bottle of drinking water in your fridge, instead of running your tap until the water gets cool each time you want some water. Do not forget to rinse the container and renew the water every 2-3 days.

In the bathroom

About 75% of indoor home water use occurs in our bathrooms, and toilets are the single greatest water users.

• When washing or shaving, partially fill the sink basin and use that water rather than running the tap continuously. (This saves about 60% of the water normally used.) Use short bursts of water to clean razors.

• When brushing your teeth, turn the water off while you are actually brushing instead of running it continuously. Then use the tap again for rinsing, and use short bursts of water for cleaning your brush. (This saves about 80% of the water normally used.)

• Be sure to always turn taps off tightly so they do not drip.

• Promptly repair any leaks in and around taps and faucets.

• Use aerators and/or water flow-reducer devices in all your faucets.

• Use either low-flow shower heads or adjustable flow-reducer devices in your shower heads. (They reduce flow by at least 25%.)

• Take short showers - turn off the water while you are soaping and shampooing, and then rinse off quickly. Some shower heads have a shut-off lever which allows you to maintain the water pressure and temperature when you stop the flow.

• Short showers use less water than baths, but if you still prefer bathing, avoid overfilling the tub.

• Reduce water usage by about 20% by placing a weighted plastic bottle filled with water, in the water tank of your toilet. You can reduce water usage by 40% to 50% by installing low-flush toilets.

• Low-cost "inserts" for the toilet tank are an alternative to plastic bottles. With a toilet insert, a family of four could save 45,000 liters of water per year. Toilet inserts are available at most hardware and plumbing supply stores.

• Flush your toilet only when really necessary. Never use the toilet as a garbage can to dispose of cigarette butts, paper tissues, etc.

• Check regularly for toilet tank leaks into the toilet bowl by putting a small amount of food coloring into the tank and observing whether it spreads to the bowl without flushing. Repair leaks promptly. Ensure that the float ball is properly adjusted so that the tank water level does not exceed the height of the overflow tube. Also, periodically examine whether the plunge ball and flapper valve in the tank are properly "seated," and replace parts when necessary.

• Regularly check for leaks at the base of your toilet, and have any promptly repaired.

• Never flush garbage of any kind down the toilet. Household cleaners, paints, solvents, pesticides and other chemicals can be very harmful to the environment. And paper diapers, dental floss, plastic tampon holders, etc., can create problems at sewage treatment plants.

• Locate your water meter and periodically record the reading late in the evening and again early the next morning between any water use, and then compare the readings to see whether there was any water leakage during the night. If so, track it down and have it repaired. (For instructions on how to read your meter, go to the City of Hollywood web site

In the laundry room

• Only wash full loads in your washing machine.

• Use the shortest cycle possible for washing clothes, and use the "suds-saver" feature if your machine has one.

• If your washer has an adjustable water-level indicator, set the dial to use only as much water as is really necessary.

• If you have a septic system, spread out your washing to avoid heavy use days that could overload the system.

• Use only cleaning products that will not harm the environment when they are washed away after use. Look for "environmentally friendly" products when shopping.

• Promptly repair any leaks around the taps, hoses or fittings of your washer, or the taps of your laundry sink.

In the yard and garden

• Lawns and gardens require only a small amount of water per day during warm weather. Less is needed during cooler weather.

• Water lawns every three to five days, rather than for a short period every day.

• The amount of water applied can easily be measured by placing a can in the area being sprinkled. Measure the time required to apply the proper amount of water and use this information for future sprinkling.

• Grass which is green does not need water. Water is required when the grass starts to develop a black tinge along the top. Recovery is almost immediate when water is applied at this stage. Blackening does not hurt grass; browning does.

• Do not over water in anticipation of a shortage. Soil cannot store extra water, especially in sandy soils.

• Use shut-off timers or on-off timers, if possible. Do not turn on sprinklers and leave for the day.

• Water during the cool part of the day, in the morning or evening. Do not water on windy days.

• Keep your lawns healthy and maintain them at a long length. Taller grass holds water better, and a healthy lawn will choke out weeds.

• Young or freshly transplanted garden plants need small quantities of water more frequently until they are well established.

• Most shrubs and young trees need water only once per week, even in warm weather.

• Wash your vehicle only when absolutely necessary.

• Clean sidewalks and driveways with a broom, not with a hose.

• Consider using the Xeriscape landscaping principles which include pre-planning and design, selecting the right plants, analyzing the soil, using practical grass areas, installing efficient irrigation, using mulch and proper maintenance.

• If you have a swimming pool, consider a new water-saving pool filter. A single back flushing with a traditional filter uses 180 to 250 gallons of water.

Most proprietary household chemicals are safe to use and are environmentally friendly, when used according to the directions on the package. However, some have a harmful cumulative effect on the environment when they are over-used or incorrectly disposed of.

If you do not want toxic chemicals in household products harming the environment and even coming back to you in your water or your food, dispose of them properly.

• Always try to use completely, or to recycle to other people, all of the contents of such products as oven cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, sink drain cleaners, bleaches, rust removers, and most other acidic and alkali products. This also includes paints, solvents, carpet and furniture cleaners, polishes, and glues.

• Such items as disposable diapers, dental floss, plastic tampon holders, and hair can create many problems in the sewage treatment plant - they should all be tossed into the wastebasket, not the toilet.

• Where possible, choose latex (water-based) paint instead of oil-based paint. Use it up instead of storing or dumping it.

Some pesticides and hazardous materials accumulate in the groundwater and food chain, and are toxic to various forms of life, particularly when they are not used according to the directions specified on the package or when the empty containers are disposed of without proper precautions.

• The use of pesticides to control household or garden pests can be reduced or avoided by employing more environmentally responsible methods such as:

  • pulling weeds by hand;

  • pulling off and disposing of infested leaves;

  • picking off larvae;

  • using an insecticidal soap solution to dislodge or suffocate insects, or dislodging them using a stream of water from a garden hose;

  • rotating garden crops each year to prevent depletion of soil nutrients and to control soil-borne diseases;

  • cultivating your garden. Regular hoeing will control weeds and keep plants healthy and more resistant to insects.

• Use natural fertilizers such as bone meal or compost.

Storm drains empty into underground storm sewer systems, discharging directly into nearby lakes and streams which are important habitats for fish and wildlife. Unlike domestic wastes collected by sanitary sewers, the contents of storm sewers are generally not treated at sewage treatment plants prior to their discharge into a stream/lake. Therefore, dispose of oils, detergents, paints and solvents and other products at local recycling or disposal facilities. Some communities organize special days for collecting these wastes, or have their own hazardous-waste sites. You may contact your health and environment officers or local waste disposal company for times and place. If your community doesn't have either, promote the idea.

An informed and committed public can become a powerful constituency in support of environmentally concerned political leaders, and even by themselves provide an impetus and catalyst on environmental issues. You can make a difference!

• Become informed.

• Trust in the ability of the individual to take action and work together with other individuals, experts and politicians.

• Report all significant water losses (broken pipes, open hydrants, errant sprinklers, abandoned free-flowing wells, etc.) to the property owner, local authorities or your water management district.

• Exercise your rights as citizens: request information; participate in public hearings; serve on advisory committees; and address review boards.

• When voting in municipal, county, state, and federal elections, make your choices based on the environmental views, positions and practices of the candidates.

• Educate your children and your friends. Environmental problems cannot be solved in a single generation; your children and their children will have to carry on the work.

• Volunteer.  Work with others to restore Florida's natural resources.