Your utility bill tells you how much water you use. It also gives you water use for the same period in the preceding year. The bill gives your usage in thousands of gallons. This amount is affected by the number of people living in your home and how wisely you are using your water.

To find your daily water usage per person, divide your current usage (in the format X,000) by the number of days in the billing period, then divide by the number of people living in your household.

• If you use less than 80 gallons per person per day, you are a wise water user.
• If you use 80 – 100 gallons per person per day, you are a typical Lafayette water user.
• If you use 101 – 120 gallons per day, you are using less than most Colorado water users, but you could be saving even more.
• If you use more that 120 gallons per day, you’d better check your habits, check for leaks, and do whatever else you need to do to start saving more.

Conduct an indoor water audit to bring your water usage down.

Check for leaks in pipes, faucets and toilets. Leaky pipes will cause water marks on walls or ceilings. In your yard, you may have an area that is constantly wet. Leaky pipes should be fixed or replaced immediately. Leaks in walls and floors can cause structural damage to your home. All leaks are expensive. You are paying for the water even though you aren’t using it.

A leaky toilet is sneakier. It may flush itself in the night when everyone’s asleep. It may keep running after it’s flushed, and it may turn on occasionally even when no one is using it or no one’s home. It is a good idea to test your toilet for leaks. One way to do this is with a dye tablet, which you can buy at any hardware store. Remove the tank lid and any cleaning devices and add a dye tablet. Wait for 20 or 30 minutes and if the water in the bowl turns blue, your toilet is leaking. You can purchase the parts at stores that sell hardware.

Leaking faucets are annoying with their constant drip, drip, drip. Once again, drips are costing you money, and they will only get worse. Repair them or have them repaired as soon as possible. Sometimes the problem is no more than a worn-out washer. Replacement washers and other parts are easily purchased at a hardware store.

Replacing older fixtures is another option. If you have an older toilet, installed before 1993, it can be using between 3.5 to 6 gallons per flush depending on its age. Even if it’s functioning perfectly, replacing it with a new low-flow toilet can make a big difference in your water usage.  Replacing your top-loading washing machine with a front-loader can save you 20 gallons or more a wash load. Replacing smaller items  can help, too. Replace your shower head with a low-flow device. Make sure your faucets are fitted with aerators.
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