11 ways you're wasting water that are costing you

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• There are small everyday things you're doing that are wasting water. 
• From postponing fixing a leaky faucet to planting the wrong kinds of shrubs for your climate, it's all too easy to waste water. 
• These water-wasting habits can be incredibly costly. 

Keeping an eye on your water usage is a good way to save money and help the planet at the same time. Plenty of us have bad habits that could be costing us hundreds of dollars in water bills over the long run.

Here are a few ways that you could be wasting water without realizing it, and what you can do about it.

You wait for the tap water to get cold during the summer.

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When you want a cool glass of water, do you run the faucet for a few moments until the stream is cold? Unless you live somewhere where the tap water is always icy, this little habit wastes a surprising amount of water.

According to the Alliance for Water Efficiency, a new kitchen faucet flows at a rate of half a gallon per minute, on average. Faucets installed during the 1990s, however, may flow at closer to 2.2 gallons per minute. That means you could be pouring up to a gallon of water down the drain for every 30 seconds you leave the tap running.

A better way to satisfy your cold water cravings is to fill up a large container of drinking water from the tap and keep it in the fridge.

You have an old toilet.

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According to Energy Star, a government-backed energy-efficiency program, the one appliance that uses the most water in a home is the toilet. Older toilets installed before 1992 can use between 3 and 7 gallons of water per flush. In comparison, federal plumbing standards now specify that new toilets can only use up to 1.5 gallons per flush.

You plant the wrong kind of flowers or shrubs for your climate.

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If you live in a dry and arid region, planting greenery that requires large quantities of water  can be a major waste of money and natural resources.

According to the gardening website GrowVeg, using grey water — i.e. water that has already been used in your washing machine, showers, and sinks — is one way to cut down your water waste.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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SEE ALSO: 13 ways you're wasting electricity that are costing you

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