Any Arizona resident who pays utility bills knows all too well how high your water bill can skyrocket during the brutal summer months. With the end of the hot weather season still far off in the distance, Plumbing Masters has several tips that conserve water, help the environment and put some green back in your wallets.

“Being a family-owned business here in Arizona for several years, we know firsthand both as residents and as technicians just how much of a difference some simple plumbing fixes can improve the amount of water that is wasted in a home,” said Brian McQuistion, co-owner of Plumbing Masters. “Some changes are very simple and can be done yourself, while others would require an expert to do the job.”

The tips include:

  1. Check for leaks: This one is obvious, but did you know that even a small drip can waste several gallons of water a day? Read the water meter in your house before and after a one-hour period when no water was used. If the number changes, there is likely a leak.
  2. Don’t use your toilet like a trash can: Every time you flush, as much as seven gallons of water is wasted. Avoid flushing facial tissue, cigarette butts or other pieces of trash when you can dispose of it a better way.
  3. Get dual-flush toilets: Toilets consume far more water than any other indoor fixture, accounting for 30 percent of most homes’ indoor water use. Dual-flush toilets are an easy way to cut water use without compromising effectiveness.
  4. Install water-saving fixtures and appliances: This will take an initial investment, but will help conserve water and save money in the long run. An old hot water can waste an alarming amount of water. The same goes for your washing machine and dishwasher. If you have it in your budget, switch the old appliances out for ones rated by the Energy Star organization. A low-flow showerhead could actually cut down on water usage by more than 25 percent. Today’s low-flow showerheads are designed so that you won’t miss your old, unsustainable showers. In fact, you might not even notice a difference. Eco-friendly faucets also significantly reduce your water use. Newer faucets give good water pressure with less water going down the drain.
  5. Insulate your pipes: If you have plastic or copper pipes, adding pipe insulators is fairly easy, cheap, and can reduce heat loss by up to 80 percent. Plus, you’ll get hot water faster and avoid wasting water while it heats up.
  6. Reuse “gray water”: Ask your plumber about installing a system that captures gray water for reuse. Gray water is what is lost down the drains in your shower, your sinks, your laundry room and your dishwasher. As much as 80 percent of this gray water goes to waste, and the bottom line is that you should really be reusing it.