Kitchen & Laundry

Please consider the following helpful tips for conserving water:

• Turn the dishwasher on only when full.
• Use the short cycle for easy-to-clean loads.
• Do not use the rinse-hold cycle on your machine, it uses a lot more water.
• Newer dishwashers are at least 25% more efficient than models sold before 1994. The new models save 7-10 gallons of water, for each load. If you've been pondering a new dishwasher, now is the time to get one.
• Use both sides of the sink when washing dishes by hand; 1 to wash, 1 to rinse. Avoid washing dishes under running water.
• Wash your dishes only once a day.
• Buy and install a faucet aerator.
• Keep a bottle or pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator. Now there is no need to run the tap to get a glass of cool water.
• Avoid using in-sink garbage disposals. These devices use about 11.5 gallons of water each day. Encourage resource-saving composting of organic wastes instead.
• Clean vegetables in a pan of water not under a running faucet. The water collected can be used for your household plants.
• Carefully measure water used for cooking or baking to avoid having to dump unneeded water. Leftover water can be used to water your plants.
• Pre-rinse clothes only when absolutely necessary.
• Use the proper water level or load size selection on the washing machine.

Note: This information was prepared by the City of Horseshoe Bay, in cooperation with the Water Wise Council, Lower Colorado River Authority and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.