In the Bathroom
· Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Save 4-10 gallons a day.
· Never use your toilet as a wastebasket. Save 3-7 gallons per flush.
· Don't take marathon showers. Five minutes will get you clean.
Save 3-7 gallons per shower.
· Close your tub drain before turning on the water. Save 3 gallons or more.
· Fill your bathtub only halfway. Save 5 gallons or more. Saves in hot water
costs, too.
Kitchen and Laundry Areas
· Fill your sink or basin when washing and rinsing dishes. Saves 8-15 gallons
per day. Saves in hot water costs, too
· Run you dishwasher only when full. Save up to 15 gallons per load. Saves in
hot water costs, too
· Wash vegetables and fruit in a basin. Use a vegetable brush to remove dirt.
Save 2-4 gallons per day.
· Run your garbage disposal only when necessary. Save 2-7 gallons per
minute.
· Run the washing machine only when full and adjust the water level setting
carefully. Washing machines use 22-25 gallons per load. Save the water
for 1-2 loads every week. Saves in hot water costs, too.
More Tips
1. Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as
watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.
2. Verify that your apartment is leak-free, because many homes have hidden
water leaks.
3. Report dripping faucets. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per
second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the
cost of water and sewer utilities.
4. Check for toilet tank leaks. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent
parts.
5. Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other
such waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
6. Take shorter showers.
7. Use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain first
and filling the tub only 1/3 full. Stopper tub before turning water. The initial
burst of cold water can be warmed by adding hot water later.
8. Don't let water run while shaving or washing your face. Brush your teeth first
while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave after filling the basin.
9. Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully
loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using.
10. When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water. Quickly
rinse under a slow-moving stream from the faucet.
11. Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every
time you want a cool glass of water.
12. Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food
overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.
13. When adjusting water temperatures, instead of turning water flow up, try
turning it down. If the water is too hot or cold, turn the offender down rather
than increasing water flow to balance the temperatures.
14. If the toilet flush handle frequently sticks in the flush position, letting water run
constantly, have it replaced or adjust it.
· Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Save 4-10 gallons a day.
· Never use your toilet as a wastebasket. Save 3-7 gallons per flush.
· Don't take marathon showers. Five minutes will get you clean.
Save 3-7 gallons per shower.
· Close your tub drain before turning on the water. Save 3 gallons or more.
· Fill your bathtub only halfway. Save 5 gallons or more. Saves in hot water
costs, too.
Kitchen and Laundry Areas
· Fill your sink or basin when washing and rinsing dishes. Saves 8-15 gallons
per day. Saves in hot water costs, too
· Run you dishwasher only when full. Save up to 15 gallons per load. Saves in
hot water costs, too
· Wash vegetables and fruit in a basin. Use a vegetable brush to remove dirt.
Save 2-4 gallons per day.
· Run your garbage disposal only when necessary. Save 2-7 gallons per
minute.
· Run the washing machine only when full and adjust the water level setting
carefully. Washing machines use 22-25 gallons per load. Save the water
for 1-2 loads every week. Saves in hot water costs, too.
More Tips
1. Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as
watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.
2. Verify that your apartment is leak-free, because many homes have hidden
water leaks.
3. Report dripping faucets. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per
second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the
cost of water and sewer utilities.
4. Check for toilet tank leaks. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent
parts.
5. Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other
such waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
6. Take shorter showers.
7. Use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain first
and filling the tub only 1/3 full. Stopper tub before turning water. The initial
burst of cold water can be warmed by adding hot water later.
8. Don't let water run while shaving or washing your face. Brush your teeth first
while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave after filling the basin.
9. Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully
loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using.
10. When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water. Quickly
rinse under a slow-moving stream from the faucet.
11. Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every
time you want a cool glass of water.
12. Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food
overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.
13. When adjusting water temperatures, instead of turning water flow up, try
turning it down. If the water is too hot or cold, turn the offender down rather
than increasing water flow to balance the temperatures.
14. If the toilet flush handle frequently sticks in the flush position, letting water run
constantly, have it replaced or adjust it.
EPA-Sponsored Report Finds Billing Residents for Water Separately From Rent Can
Conserve Significant Amounts of Water and Can Help Municipalities Delay Costly
Infrastructure Expansions
Contact: Michael Tucker, 202/974-2360, mtucker@nmhc.org
For Release: September 1, 2004
WASHINGTON, DC -- Municipalities and policy makers seeking incentives to improve water conservation
should embrace direct water billing by the apartment industry, according to a new study produced in
cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 10 municipal water utilities and two
national apartment associations.
The National Multiple Family Submetering and Allocation Billing Program Study, a three-year effort to
determine the water savings potential in the apartment sector from requiring residents to pay for their
water consumption separately from their rent, found that billing residents for their water usage by direct
metering could reduce annual water consumption by an average of 15 percent.
"This latest research supports the apartment industry's long-hold contention that people tend to value
things they pay for," noted Eileen Lee, Ph.D., Vice President of Environment for the National Multi Housing
Council/National Apartment Association Joint Legislative Program and a study sponsor. "Unbundling
water charges from the typical rent payment can provide consumers with an important signal about the
price of a resource. Not only do residents use less water when they are paying directly for it, but it also
makes them more aware of the importance of immediately reporting plumbing leaks in their homes."
"This unique collaborative project shows the degree to which water billing is one of those rare issues that
unites water providers, regulators, conservation groups and apartment owners," explained Lee. "Water is
a precious resource, and many drought-stricken regions are finding it increasingly expensive and difficult
to obtain new supplies. Meanwhile other cash-strapped areas are looking for ways to postpone costly
new water treatment plants and other infrastructure investments required to keep up with current demand."
The research, conducted by Aquacraft under the direction of Dick Bennett of the East Bay (CA) Municipal
Utility District, found that fully 85 percent of apartment properties still include water in the rent. This
suggests there is enormous conservation potential if utilities use their avoided costs to provide incentives
to property owners to upgrade plumbing fixtures and implement direct billing programs.
"Direct water billing is a natural response to growing water shortages," noted Barbara Vassallo, Esq., Vice
President of State and Local Policy for the National Apartment Association. "Before the energy crisis of the
1970s, electricity was typically included in rent. Today billing residents directly for the electricity they use in
their apartment is standard practice, and by all accounts, this has significantly reduced electricity usage."
The report's authors concur, writing "direct metering and billing of water for apartment residents
encourages water efficiency and promotes a water billing system as transparent as other utilities like gas
and electricity, phone and cable, whereby residents pay for what they use."
In addition to recommending the installation of water submeters on apartment properties, the report also
recognizes the value of water-efficient plumbing fixtures and suggests that properties built prior to 1995
retrofit with water-efficient fixtures prior to undertaking a water billing program. It also calls on
policymakers to establish incentive programs to facilitate the acquisition of these fixtures. The report
further recommends that EPA cease to apply certain federal Safe Drinking Water Act requirements to
apartment properties that bill their residents separately for water, since billing has no impact on drinking
water quality.
The practice of using an allocation formula (based on the unit's square footage, number of taps, etc.)
instead of a submeter to estimate water consumption for each apartment unit was not found in this study
to have a statistically significant impact on water consumption. Although study authors acknowledge that
their research focused primarily on properties in the Southwest and that they might have documented
more water savings from allocation billing if they had been able to study more buildings on the East
Coast, where it is often impractical to retrofit older properties with individual water meters.
"This finding directly contradicts the finding of an earlier study conducted by Industrial Economics which
showed that alternative (non-metered) water billing properties use between six and 27 percent less water
than properties where water is simply included in the rent," said Lee. It is important to remember that it is
not feasible to install sub-meters in all properties, particularly in older mid- and high-rise apartments. In
addition, some areas of the country prohibit Point of Sale meters, so water allocation may be the only
bridge to resident billing."
"We support the report's call for additional research into water allocation as an alternative to submetering
to determine whether different areas of the country, responding to varying water price signals, weather
conditions and public awareness of drought conditions respond similarly."
Note: The full report can be found at: www.nmhc.org/Content/ServeContent.cfm?ContentItemID=3242.
* * *
NMHC and NAA operate a Joint Legislative Program and represent the nation's leading firms participating
in the multifamily rental housing industry. NMHC/NAA's combined memberships are engaged in all
aspects of the development and operation of apartment communities, including ownership, construction,
finance and management. Together, the organizations jointly operate a federal legislative program and
provide a unified voice for the private apartment industry. Almost one-third of Americans rent their housing,
and nearly 15 percent of all U.S. households live in an apartment home. For more information, contact
NMHC at 202/974-2300, e-mail the Council at info@nmhc.org, or visit NMHC's web site at www.nmhc.org.
Conserve Significant Amounts of Water and Can Help Municipalities Delay Costly
Infrastructure Expansions
Contact: Michael Tucker, 202/974-2360, mtucker@nmhc.org
For Release: September 1, 2004
WASHINGTON, DC -- Municipalities and policy makers seeking incentives to improve water conservation
should embrace direct water billing by the apartment industry, according to a new study produced in
cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 10 municipal water utilities and two
national apartment associations.
The National Multiple Family Submetering and Allocation Billing Program Study, a three-year effort to
determine the water savings potential in the apartment sector from requiring residents to pay for their
water consumption separately from their rent, found that billing residents for their water usage by direct
metering could reduce annual water consumption by an average of 15 percent.
"This latest research supports the apartment industry's long-hold contention that people tend to value
things they pay for," noted Eileen Lee, Ph.D., Vice President of Environment for the National Multi Housing
Council/National Apartment Association Joint Legislative Program and a study sponsor. "Unbundling
water charges from the typical rent payment can provide consumers with an important signal about the
price of a resource. Not only do residents use less water when they are paying directly for it, but it also
makes them more aware of the importance of immediately reporting plumbing leaks in their homes."
"This unique collaborative project shows the degree to which water billing is one of those rare issues that
unites water providers, regulators, conservation groups and apartment owners," explained Lee. "Water is
a precious resource, and many drought-stricken regions are finding it increasingly expensive and difficult
to obtain new supplies. Meanwhile other cash-strapped areas are looking for ways to postpone costly
new water treatment plants and other infrastructure investments required to keep up with current demand."
The research, conducted by Aquacraft under the direction of Dick Bennett of the East Bay (CA) Municipal
Utility District, found that fully 85 percent of apartment properties still include water in the rent. This
suggests there is enormous conservation potential if utilities use their avoided costs to provide incentives
to property owners to upgrade plumbing fixtures and implement direct billing programs.
"Direct water billing is a natural response to growing water shortages," noted Barbara Vassallo, Esq., Vice
President of State and Local Policy for the National Apartment Association. "Before the energy crisis of the
1970s, electricity was typically included in rent. Today billing residents directly for the electricity they use in
their apartment is standard practice, and by all accounts, this has significantly reduced electricity usage."
The report's authors concur, writing "direct metering and billing of water for apartment residents
encourages water efficiency and promotes a water billing system as transparent as other utilities like gas
and electricity, phone and cable, whereby residents pay for what they use."
In addition to recommending the installation of water submeters on apartment properties, the report also
recognizes the value of water-efficient plumbing fixtures and suggests that properties built prior to 1995
retrofit with water-efficient fixtures prior to undertaking a water billing program. It also calls on
policymakers to establish incentive programs to facilitate the acquisition of these fixtures. The report
further recommends that EPA cease to apply certain federal Safe Drinking Water Act requirements to
apartment properties that bill their residents separately for water, since billing has no impact on drinking
water quality.
The practice of using an allocation formula (based on the unit's square footage, number of taps, etc.)
instead of a submeter to estimate water consumption for each apartment unit was not found in this study
to have a statistically significant impact on water consumption. Although study authors acknowledge that
their research focused primarily on properties in the Southwest and that they might have documented
more water savings from allocation billing if they had been able to study more buildings on the East
Coast, where it is often impractical to retrofit older properties with individual water meters.
"This finding directly contradicts the finding of an earlier study conducted by Industrial Economics which
showed that alternative (non-metered) water billing properties use between six and 27 percent less water
than properties where water is simply included in the rent," said Lee. It is important to remember that it is
not feasible to install sub-meters in all properties, particularly in older mid- and high-rise apartments. In
addition, some areas of the country prohibit Point of Sale meters, so water allocation may be the only
bridge to resident billing."
"We support the report's call for additional research into water allocation as an alternative to submetering
to determine whether different areas of the country, responding to varying water price signals, weather
conditions and public awareness of drought conditions respond similarly."
Note: The full report can be found at: www.nmhc.org/Content/ServeContent.cfm?ContentItemID=3242.
* * *
NMHC and NAA operate a Joint Legislative Program and represent the nation's leading firms participating
in the multifamily rental housing industry. NMHC/NAA's combined memberships are engaged in all
aspects of the development and operation of apartment communities, including ownership, construction,
finance and management. Together, the organizations jointly operate a federal legislative program and
provide a unified voice for the private apartment industry. Almost one-third of Americans rent their housing,
and nearly 15 percent of all U.S. households live in an apartment home. For more information, contact
NMHC at 202/974-2300, e-mail the Council at info@nmhc.org, or visit NMHC's web site at www.nmhc.org.
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Water Conservation
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