It’s not too late to start a new year’s resolution that is good for you and the environment.
The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) has many opportunities for residents to save water and as a result save money on their WASD bill. In Miami-Dade County, each individual uses approximately 134 gallons of water per day. Why not resolve in 2017 to use less water?
Due to the award winning-work of the department’s conservation program in 2016:
• 2,489 residential and multifamily high efficiency toilet rebates were issued;
• 812 high efficiency faucet and shower head rebates were issued;
• 81 single family and 22 large property irrigation evaluation rebates were issued, and
•1,029 free high efficiency shower heads and water conservation kits were distributed/
This partnership between WASD and the public resulted in an additional savings of water of nearly 911,000 gallons of water per day.
Following are some easy tips you and your family can implement that will have lasting, beneficial impacts. By doing so, you will see some big savings — both in terms of the environment and your wallet.
In the kitchen:
If you wash your dishes in the sink, fill the basin with wash water, wash dishes in it, put dishes aside, and rinse them all together at the end. If every home in the United States that washes dishes in the sink would do so in this manner, more than 100 billion gallons of water could be saved annually.
Also, defrost food in the refrigerator, not under running water.
In the bathroom:
Install WaterSense labeled toilets throughout your home. A household could save $90 per year in reduced water costs, and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilet. Miami-Dade County’s High-Efficiency Toilet Rebate Program offers qualifying Miami-Dade residents up to $50 with the purchase and installation of a WaterSense-certified toilet.
Exchange your old shower head for a new, high-efficiency one, and save dozens of gallons of water per shower. You can exchange two old shower heads for two new shower heads at WASD office locations.
Also, don’t forget to turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth. Estimates suggest each person who turns off the faucet while brushing their teeth would save 1,200 gallons of water a year.
In the laundry room:
Make sure to wash only full loads in the washer. Eliminate one load a week and save 2,130 gallons of water annually. Switch to a high-efficiency washer, which uses less than half the amount of water compared to a standard washing machine.
