Take showers instead of baths.

You have probably already heard that showers use less water than baths. According to the EPA, 70 gallons can fill a bathtub, while a 5 minute shower uses 10-25 gallons. Even if you fill your tub only halfway, that is still using more water than a shower. The average American shower uses 17.2 gallons of water and lasts for 8.2 minutes. (home-water-works.org) I would say that seems pretty accurate.

When I moved into the house I live in now, I was in awe of the jacuzzi bathtub in the master bath. It was huge! It could fit three people in it, with two people laying down, and I am not exaggerating. The thing is, in the 13 years I have lived here, I have taken less than 5 baths in it. The reason is because it takes 30 minutes just to get to the level where the jets will work! It is a HUGE waste of water (and space.) It is the first thing that is getting torn out when we remodel the master bath.

It is nice to take a relaxing bath once in a while, maybe with a little wine and some music, but in the spirit of saving water, try to use that as a special treat instead of a daily occurance.

I know a lot of kiddos prefer baths when they are young, because they don’t like getting water in their face. So, an idea to save water, and get them used to the shower, might be to get a hose attachment for the shower, so it is not so intimidating. Then, let them take a bath once a week instead of at every washing time. They might even surprise you and prefer showers after seeing how fun those hand-held nozzles are! That would save you a backache at least.

If you do prefer baths to showers and decide to switch to save water, I imagine you will see a lower water bill as well. That would be an extra perk! Give it a try- I bet you will find it saves time, money, and water.