With the teetering fuel prices and winter approaching, many people are not looking forward to their heating bills and are looking for ways to save a few bucks. Water conservation can save people on public water and sewer money on their next bill and those with a well and septic system will gain by placing less stress on their systems, which could save them over time.

On average, a person uses 50 to 70 gallons of water indoors each day and most of that water is used in the bathroom. Below is a list of simple and inexpensive things that people can do to reduce their daily water consumption.

• Use water-saving showerheads. These showerheads actually use up to 50 percent less water. Taking shorter showers can help too. If you take a four minute shower, you will use only about 8 gallons of water.

• Use faucet aerators. Aerators, like the water-saving showerheads, decrease the amount of water used by up to 50 percent. These can be placed on all the faucets in a home. Also, turning off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth or shaving can make a difference.

• Rock-filled container in tank of the toilet. Cut a plastic milk jug in half and place rocks, marbles or water in the jug. This will reduce the amount of water the tank fills with by 25 percent. If you find that you have to flush twice using this container, make it smaller to avoid wasting water.

• Repair leaky faucets and toilets. Repairing leaks is crucial to reducing water use. A leaking faucet can waste 20 or more gallons of water a day and toilets can waste hundreds of gallons every day. A simple way to determine if your toilet is leaking is to place a little food coloring in the tank of the toilet. Do not flush the toilet, but wait and observe if color appears in the bowl. If you see the food coloring, your toilet is leaking.

• Look for water-saving appliances. Check for washing machine options like variable load or suds-saver and dishwashers with water-saving options.

By conserving water, you can reduce the stress on wells and septic systems or reduce your water bill. But conserving water not only helps your wallet, it also improves the environment. The more water we as humans use, the more potential that water has of becoming polluted.

Septic systems that are overloaded can malfunction, potentially contaminating water supplies with harmful bacteria and nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.

Homeowners that use public sewer also contribute to the pollutants that wastewater treatment plants handle. The more water flowing through the plant, less effective the treatment process is.

It is important for everyone to understand that the little changes they make in their water habits can have a huge impact when many people adopt those same changes.

- Sources: “Water Wise: Water Conservation in Your Home” by Seneca Lake Pure

Waters Association and “How to Conserve Water in Your Home & Yard” Fact Sheet SS-3 from Cornell Cooperative Extension

Jessica Miles is the Owasco Lake Watershed inspector