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Water Conservation Around The Home
Conservation and water reuse are critical ways North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) manages a finite supply of water. With booming populations, prolonged droughts, and increased demand on a limited supply of water, it is more important than ever for each of us to use water wisely and efficiently to make sure our supplies last.
For Texas, the average family uses approximately 141 gallons of household water per day. There are many ways each of us can conserve and use less water every day. Here’s some smart, simple choices you can make whenever and wherever you use water — outdoors or indoors.
Winterize your Home
As cold weather moves into our region for the Winter, make sure your home is prepared by following these five simple steps. Not only do these steps help conserve water, but they also help avoid large repair bills due to burst or cracked pipes.
INSULATE AND COVER OUTDOOR FAUCETS AND HOSE BIBS
Insulation covers and wrap are available at your local hardware store.
VERIFY YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM IS OFF
In North Texas, we spend most of the spring and summer fertilizing, cutting, and watering our lawns. As we head into winter, your lawn requires less maintenance. The first step is turning off your irrigation system.
Turf grass protects itself from cold temperatures by going dormant during the winter. Continuing to water keeps the grass awake, preventing it from storing energy for spring growth. Keeping your irrigation system running as temperatures drop might seem harmless, but it could result in a costly mistake.
Water can freeze in your pipes, causing them to crack or burst, meaning expensive repairs come spring. If it becomes necessary to run your system, only run it in manual mode. If your foundation needs watering during the winter, use a soaker hose or water it by hand instead.
DRIP INDOOR FAUCETS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO EXTERIOR WALLS
Water pipes inside of the home are typically warmed and heated by the warm air supplied by your heater. Still, any lines running through the exterior walls of your home are vulnerable to freezing temperatures.
Slowly dripping your faucets and showers helps prevent the water in the lines from freezing.
MAKE SURE ANY PEX PIPES IN ATTIC, CRAWLSPACES, OR GARAGE ARE PROPERLY INSULATED
PEX Pipes have become popular with plumbers over the last few years due to their flexibility and resilience. They are great for interior walls that can be heated by the temperature set inside your home. Any PEX Pipes in your attic, crawlspace, or garage will need additional help to prevent freezing and cracking.
Your local hardware store should have insulation tubing and thermal wraps in stock to help keep your PEX lines flowing.
KNOW WHERE THE WATER SHUTOFF VALVES ARE AND HOW TO ACCESS THEM
Texas plumbing code mandates that homes have two water shutoff valves, one at the city water meter and the other closer to the home.
- City Water Meter Shutoff Valve
- These shutoff valves are usually located in a box near the city street, underneath a locked lid. Contact your city Public Works Department or a local plumber to access this valve.
- Homeowner Shutoff Valve
- These valves must be located near where the main water supply comes into the building and can typically be located in one of two places:
- The front flower beds where the water supply line goes under the home's slab foundation. The access point may be buried under mulch and soil in the flower bed and require a little digging to locate.
- Newer homes may have the valve located behind a wall panel in the garage or in a utility room.
- These valves must be located near where the main water supply comes into the building and can typically be located in one of two places:
Tips to Conserve Water & Use Water Efficiently
Water is used for a variety of uses, such as irrigating our lawns and landscapes, flushing toilets, washing clothes and dishes, taking showers, and cooking, to name a few. Conserving water and using water more efficiently is simple to implement and together, we can make a difference.
These water-saving tips will put you on the path to conserving water in your home.
- Install low-flow toilets, showerheads, and faucets throughout your house.
- Wash dishes in the dishwasher rather than by hand.
Pro Tip: Don’t waste water by pre-rinsing dishes, and make sure to run the dishwasher only when it’s full. - Invest in an energy-efficient clothes washing machine, adjust the water level to your load size, and run only with a full load.
- Install a shower timer, shorten the length of your shower, and turn off the water while you wash your hair and body, then turn the water back on to rinse off.
- Turn off the water while you shave, and rinse your razor in a plugged sink rather than under a running faucet.
- Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth and washing your face or hands.