DENVER — As more utilities implement water restrictions because of the drought, there are simple strategies you can use to save water at home.
"Saving water indoors is really important to us, and it's because sometimes people think that indoor use doesn't matter, but indoor use does matter," Denver Water Spokesperson Todd Hartman told Denver7 Anchor Jessica Porter.
Denver Water has some simple recommendations that do not cost any money, including:
- Turning the water off while brushing your teeth and washing your face.
- Limiting showers to five minutes.
- Only run your dishwasher or washing machine when you have a full load.
- Fixing leaking toilets, faucets, or other appliances. A leaking toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day.
Drought
Water restrictions in Colorado: Share your concerns, how you are impacted
Residents should also consider replacing an old toilet. Older toilets use three to five gallons of water per flush, versus newer toilets that use just one gallon. Denver Water has a rebate program to replace older toilets with a more water-efficient model.
Hartman said even minor adjustments to your water use can have a big impact.
"I think one point we really want to make about indoor use is small changes, improving habits. It may not feel like you're making a big difference personally. We serve 1.5 million people. So if thousands of those people make even small changes, that's really going to add up. That's going to add up to thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of gallons saved across the metro area every day," Hartman said.
Hartman also wants to remind people that watering season starts in May and the grass is still dormant. Denver Water can see that people have started watering their lawns, and it is way too early, he said.
"In this drought that we're in and this terrible snow pack, we are really all in this together. We all need to work together to do little things," he said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
