IMPROVE YOUR SYSTEM PRACTICE WATER CONSERVATION

Water Conservation - An Inexpensive Way to Improve Household Onsite Systems
Reducing the volume of wastewater entering the onsite treatment system is important because; less flow (volume) means better treatment, longer system life and less chance of failure. The quantity of water used depends upon the number of people using the dwelling, their living habits, the types of appliances in use, and maintenance of the water supply system. Average water use is based on 120 gallons per day per bedroom in the home. With low-use fixtures and individual awareness and concern, a reduction in fewer gallons per day is even possible. However, even with water conservation, water use can exceed the capacity of some wastewater treatment systems.

Reducing the volume of water entering the system improves treatment by increasing the time the waste spends in the system, thus providing more time for settling, aeration and more soil contact.

Consider the following ways to minimize water use:
Eliminate non-functional uses, such as flushing toilets to dispose of tissues or other wastes that should be handled as solid waste. Turn off water between uses, fix plumbing fixture leaks, and try to eliminate sources of clean water and infiltration into the system. (For example, divert roof and basement drains away from the soil absorption field.)
Consider which actions use the most water. Toilet flushing usually ranks high. Low-flow toilets could decrease water use by more than half. In the United States, 35-40 percent of the population lives in areas where the plumbing codes require 1.5-gallon-or-less toilets on all new construction.
Composting toilets allow even greater reductions, but they present other waste disposal challenges.
Bathing and clothes washing are next in order of water use. For bathing, consider such reductions options as installing low-flow or controlled-flow showerheads, which give good cleansing with less water; taking shorter showers; and taking “wet-down, soap-up-without-water-then-rinse”-showers.
For clothes washing, use a suds saver washer and run full loads. Front-loading washers use much less water. When running small loads, be sure to use the reduced water level setting.
Modern efficient plumbing fixtures (including 0.5 to 1.5-gallon toilets, 0.5-2.0 gallons per minute (gpm) showerheads, faucets of 1.5 gpm or less, and front-loading washing machines of 20 to 27 gallons per 10-to-12-pound dry load) offer the potential of substantial reduction in residential water use and wastewater generation. These reductions can amount to between 30 and 70 percent of total in-house water use.
In hard water areas, the water softener may be a significant user of water. Proper adjustment and timing of the softener’s regeneration mechanism can reduce excessive water use.
Keep in mind that your family’s awareness of water use and how each of you can reduce it is as important as the use of water conservation devices.

Adapted in part from a publication by Jim O. Peterson, James C. Converse, Department of Agricultural Engineering, E. Jerry Tyler, Department of Soil Science, Environmental Resources Center May, 1992. University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service.

Water Use By Conventional Fixtures and Water-Saving Fixtures and Devices

Installation of all these water-saving devices could reduce water use by 35% or more over older existing fixtures.

Other Topics:
Sewage Protection Program | Caring for Your Septic System - Do's & Don'ts | Why Systems Fail | Curtain Drains, Washer lines & Filters | Ten most asked questions about Septic Systems | Septic Systems - How do they work

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