- The biggest thing you can do to save water any time in any shower is turn off the water while you are shampooing, soaping up and leaving your conditioner in. Just turn the water back on to rinse. Another simple tip is to shorten your shower by a minute or two, which can save 150 gallons of water a month. Easily limit the length of your showers by setting a timer or an alarm before you get in. That prevents you from lingering longer than anticipated. When you are getting ready to draw bath water, plug the tub before you start it. You can adjust the temperature as the tub fills. In some areas of the country, there is even a campaign that encourages people to shower with a child or loved one to save water.
- A few mechanical adjustments can be made to conserve water in the shower. One way to tell whether your showerhead is wasting water is to see if it fills a 1-gal. bucket in less than 20 seconds. If it does, install a water-saving or low-flow showerhead. There are many on the market to choose from and some save water without sapping water pressure. There are also devices you can attach to your existing showerhead. Adding a shut-off valve on the showerhead lets you turn the water off while you are shampooing without messing up your temperature settings. At least one device allows the shower to run until the water heats up and then automatically pauses the water flow for you until you are ready to get in. If you are ready to make extreme changes, buy an Eco shower or solar-heated shower to use outside.
