Indoor Water Conservation Tips

Using Water Wisely In Your Home

From the kitchen, to the bathroom and the laundry room, changing your habits can save money on your water bill and help conserve a vital resource. Water consumption can be reduced easily at little or no cost. Water conservation not only saves you money by using less water, but it saves energy too, energy needed to heat water and run appliances.

Looking to cut down on your indoor water use?

TVWD has a variety of FREE items to help you use less water indoors. 

Check out the tips listed on this page or our print-friendly Indoor Water Conservation Checklist (PDF).

For tips on using water wisely outside your home, visit our Outdoor Water Conservation Tips Web Page.

General Tips

• Locate your master water shut-off valve in case a pipe bursts and you need to shut if off to avoid flooding.
• Repair leaks. Even small leaks can waste 100 gallons of water each week or more than 5000 gallons each year.
• Insulate your water pipes. You'll get hot water faster.
• Ask TVWD for a leak kit. This kit contains dye tablets (to check for a silent toilet leak), a TVWD "Water Loss Adjustment Form" (used to apply for a water loss adjustment after a leak has been repaired), Meter Reading and Water Conservation Tips. Contact TVWD's Conservation Department or call (503) 642-1511 to request a kit.

Kitchen Tips

• Install an instant water heater on the kitchen sink so you don't have to let water run while it heats.
• Garbage disposals require a lot of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile instead.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks.
• Wash fruits and vegetables in a pan filled with water or a partly filled sink, instead of under running water.
• Soak your pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them.
• Run the dishwasher only when full.
• When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.
• When it's time to replace your dishwasher, invest in an energy efficient dishwasher.
• Watch for leaks. Take a look at our Even You Can Fix A Leaky Faucet Brochure (PDF).

Laundry Tips

• Run the washing machine only when full.
• When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load.
• Invest in new water-saving appliances, like high efficiency washing machines that can save up to 50% on water use. Take advantage of TVWD's Residential Washing Machine Rebate Program!

Bathroom

• Invest in high-efficiency toilets (HETs). Take advantage of TVWD's Residential HET Rebate Program!
• Invest in high-efficiency showerheads and faucets. TVWD has free high-efficiency showerheads available by contacting TVWD's Conservation Department or calling (503) 848-3056.
• Did you recently install a new toilet? Wondering what to do with your old one? If you would like to recycle your old toilet, visit our Residential Rebates FAQ Web page.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
• Keep showers under 5 minutes.
• Turn off the water while you shave.
• Don't flush tissue, cigarettes, or small bits of trash down the toilet.
• Toilet tank leaks can be silent -- but costly! At least once a year, use a dye tablet in the tank to check for leaks. You may save 200 gallons a month if you find and repair a leak! Take a look at our Even You Can Fix A Leaky Toilet Brochure (PDF). The Regional Water Providers Consortium also has some great videos on how to detect and fix a toilet leak.
• Are you shopping for a toilet? The MaP Testing of Popular Toilet Models will give you performance ratings on EPA WaterSense certified toilets to help you make an informed decision.

For more information about conserving water, visit the Regional Water Provider's Consortium Web site or our Helpful Links Web Page and look at our water conservation links.