Showerhead - 16% of water use;
37,000 gallons/year
•Take shorter showers (typical shower
lasts 8 minutes and uses 17 gallons; an
efficient shower lasts 3 or 4 minutes and
uses 7.5 gallons)
•If your shower can fill a one-gallon bucket
in less than 20 seconds, then replace it
with a water-efficient showerhead.
Faucet - 16% of water use;
35,000 gallons/year
•Turn off the water running while brushing
teeth, shaving, or washing
•Turn off while brushing your teeth and
save up to 4 gallons a minute.
•Catch “warm-up” water and use for
plants
•Consider installing low flow restrictors/
aerators to faucets ($2-4)
Leaks 14% of water use;
30,000 gallons/year
•Check for and repair toilet leaks - will
waste from 30 to 500 gallons of water per
day
•Fix faucet leaks (usually a washer will
work) - a gradual dripping faucet can leak
up to 5 gallons of water per day
•Irrigation systems typically leak 20-40%
Toilet - 27% of water use;
60,000 gallons/year
•Offset older toilets with a plastic jug of
pebbles and water inside the tank to
minimize flushing
•Flush less frequently
•Install low-volume toilets
•Put food coloring in your water tank, if it
leaks you will see it in the toilet bowl. It is
easy to fix and can save you 600 gallons Backyard Conservation
a month.
Thanks to our partners:
Lonesome Pine Soil and Water Powell River Project
Conservation District University of Virginia at Wise
USDA Natural Resource VA Department of Inland Game
Conservation District and Fisheries
VA Department of Conservation Keep Wise County Beautiful
and Recreation Keep Southwest Virginia Beautiful
Tennessee Valley Authority Trout Unlimited
VA Department of Mines Upper Powell River Project
Minerals and Energy Wise Water Testing Team
Upper Tennessee River Army Corps of Engineers
Roundtable Hands Across the Mountain
VA Department of Environmental Canaan Valley Institute
Quality Office of Surface Mining
Wise County Health Department Appalachian Coal Country
Wise County Litter Control Watershed Team
Virginia Department of Forestry AmeriCorps*VISTA
Facts Courtesy of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
This Brochure is sponsored by: