Use commercial car washes or wash on the grass
Commercial car washes clean and recycle the water they use. If you don't use a car wash, washing your car on the grass keeps soap and dirt from entering the storm drain and the Puget Sound.
Did you know? If you don't have an environmentally friendly car wash product, you can use a biodegradable soap or make your own cleaner.
Helpful hint: Want to reduce pollution and save water at the same time? Try washing vehicles with a waterless citrus-based cleaner to increase the time between car full washes.
Add compost to help the soil retain more water
Prevent the need to water more by choosing natural yard care products and compost with lots of organic material that helps the soil absorb and hold water.
It's best to pick a compost that comes from a recycled waste stream, such as composted yard waste or GroCo biosolids. Using these products keeps them from going to a landfill.
Helpful hint: Keep a compost bin with a lid in your kitchen. Try keeping baking soda next to your kitchen compost bin, sprinkle a little on it to keep the odors at bay.
Use a garbage disposal sparingly to minimize energy and water use
Garbage disposals connect to the sewer system and food waste will eventually get recycled through the wastewater treatment plants as biosolids soil amendment.
However, running a garbage disposal requires water and electricity, after the food goes down the drain even more water and electricity will be used to move the water and clean the food out and truck it to farms and forests.
Did you know? Food in the trash never gets recycled and creates more greenhouse gases at the landfill.
Helpful hint: When trying to recycle food waste, choose an option that is the most efficient, local, and uses the least energy:
- Compost at home
- Put food scraps in your green yard waste bins
- Use the garbage disposal
Water more efficiently
Install drip irrigation to directly water plant roots in flower, vegetable, and herb beds. Using this type of system will water more efficiently and can be set on a timer for convenience.
Did you know? Watering in the early morning or late evening will avoid evaporation from mid-day sun and more water will go to the plants.
Do it yourself: For indoor or potted plants, try cutting off the bottom of a plastic bottle, stick the bottle's base in the soil, and fill the open end with water.
Add compost to help the soil retain more water
Prevent the need to water more by choosing natural yard care products and compost with lots of organic material that helps the soil absorb and hold water.
It's best to pick a compost that comes from a recycled waste stream, such as composted yard waste or GroCo biosolids. Using these products keeps them from going to a landfill.
Helpful hint: Keep a compost bin with a lid in your kitchen. Try keeping baking soda next to your kitchen compost bin, sprinkle a little on it to keep the odors at bay.
Choose full loads for laundry and dishwashers
How many times do you wear a piece of clothing or use a water glass before washing it? Try to reduce the number of loads you wash, choose efficient settings, and fill the machine up completely before you start it.
When purchasing a new washer look for water and energy efficient models .
Helpful hint: If you wash your dishes by hand, you can save water by partially filling the sink to wash and rinse your dishes, instead of running the faucet.
Did you know? Dishwashers almost always use less water than washing by hand.
Fix leaks and monitor meters for water use
Common types of leaks found in the home are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. Check your monitoring meter to help determine when more water than normal is being used.
Helpful hint: Putting a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank can help determine if and where there are leaks.
Did you know? Leaks account for 14 percent of our water usage.
Install low-flow faucets
Do you know how much water the average faucet uses?
| Kitchen sink | 2.2 gallons/minute |
| Showerhead | 1.5 to 2.5 gallons/minute |
| Bathroom sink | 1.5 to 2.2 gallons/minute |
Helpful hint: Look for the EPA WaterSense Logo to ensure low-flow performance.
Did you know? A 15-minute shower with a standard (2.5 gallons/minute) showerhead takes 37 gallons of water. A 15-minute shower with a low-flow showerhead only takes 22 gallons of water. How much water does your morning shower take?
Install low-flow toilets
Do you know how much water a standard toilet uses?
| Standard toilet | 3.5 gallons/flush |
| Low-flow toilet | 1.6 gallons/flush |
| Dual-flush toilet | 0.8 to 1.6 gallons/flush |
| Composting toilet | 0 to 0.5 gallons/flush |
Helpful hint: Not ready to buy a new toilet? Putting a water bottle or milk jug filled with rocks in the tank will help reduce the water used.
Did you know? Toilets account for approximately 30% of water used indoors. By installing a dual-flush toilet you can save between 40 and 70 percent of the drinking water being flushed down the toilet, depending the age of toilet you replace.
Build a rain garden
Rain gardens are a way to reduce stormwater runoff into waterways and sewer systems.
Did you know? In King County you may be eligible for a rebate to install a rain garden on your property.
Install rain barrels
Use a rain catchment system to collect water for later use.
Collecting rain water reduces the amount of water that gets polluted and runs into the Puget Sound. It is also a free source of water to use for non-drinking uses around your yard and house.
Helpful hint: You can buy or make a rain barrel. If you have a lot of plants to care for, consider linking several rain barrels together to increase your storage capacity.
Did you know? The Puget Sound region experiences natural summer droughts where only 20% of the annual rainfall occurs from May to September. By reducing your demand from established water supplies during the dry summer months you are helping the environment and salmon.
