Green Newton

all indoor water use. But advances in plumbing technology mean that newer faucets, showers, and toilets use significantly less water than older models and still deliver the rinse, spray, and flush you expect.

Five ways to save:

1. Replace your old toilets—all of them. Older toilets use as many as 6 gallons per flush, while new toilets do the job with 1.28 gallons or less. With new toilets, the average family can reduce water use by 20 percent per toilet.
2. Instead of baths, take short showers and cut your shower time to 5 minutes. You can also turn off the water when lathering up or shampooing. And don’t let the water run when brushing your teeth or shaving.
3. Replace your old showerhead. Standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute.
4. Replace your old faucets. Replacing leaky or inefficient faucets and aerators can save the average family 500 gallons of water per year.
5. Don’t use your toilet as a garbage can. It wastes water and can clog your pipes. Toilet paper is designed to disintegrate. Tissues, most wipes, and dental floss are not.