EM77:8
March 1977
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/Conserving Water
Dishwasher Use
A relatively small volume of water is used to complete a cycle in dishwashers.
Most dishwashers fill with two or three gallons of water during each cycle.
De-
pending on the cycle you select for washing or rinsing, the dishwasher fills and
drains four or five times using from 12 to 16 gallons of water during the complete
cycle time.
This amount of water is continually recirculated through the spray
wash arms and filter system of the appliance to clean the dishes.
Many people have found that one running will do the day's dishes.
This means
dirty dishes, glasses, snack plates, pots and pans, and preparation utensils can
be put into the dishwasher out of sight--out of mind until there are enough accu-
mulated for a full load.
This reduces the use of water, since less is used to run the dishwasher once
a day than would be needed when clutter is washed by hand frequently throughout
tne day, usually under constantly running water.
Many people use more than 15
gallons of water in hand washing dishes for just one meal.
It takes just as much water to run the washer empty as full.
Good machine
loading practices will assure proper circulation of spray for effective cleaning.
Loading instructions for your particular model will be found in its use and care
manual.
Improper loading and overloading can cause poor cleaning results and
dishes may have to be rewashed--which uses more human energy as well as electrical
energy and water.
One portion of the dishwashing task that can be eliminated is the pre-rinse
TH
of dishes before loading the machine.
The myth that you have to wash before load-
ing the dishwasher has long been dispelled if you plan to run the dishwasher relatively soon.
With continued mechanical improvements in machines and technological
improvements in detergents, less and less preparation is needed, saving you the
extra work and using less water and power to get the job done.
.
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all paopla. SIUMMH UUcrtatlnatton.
Waste Disposer
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If you own a waste food disposer, become conscious of the times you require
it to run. Cold water is used in operating a disposer so that fat particles will
solidify and be chopped and flushed away into the sewer system. It is estimated
that the average water usage per person per day is 1.5 gallons for normal use of
the disposer.
Remember that waste food disposers are made to operate with the water running. Operating the machine without running water will ruin the appliance. If
you are serious about not using water, then plan to dispose of food wastes by
other means.
start.
More careful planning can help eliminate some of the waste from the
A work simplification top is to peel vegetables, eggs, or other foods onto
newspaper, wrap the paper around the food waste, and then dispose of the package
in the appropriate garbage container. This will save you the work of scraping
peelings out of the sink or off the counter after the preparation job is done.
It will save water because the disposer does not have to operate and the food
waste is still removed. This might be a good time to consider starting a compost
pile if you have the outdoor space available.
How to Save Water
Normal
use
Water running
SHOWER
Normal
use
Wet down, soap up, j
rinse off
|
215 gallons
4 gallons
Tap running
Wet brush, rinse
briefly
BRUSHING
TH
Conservation
use
WASHING
HANDS
10 gallons
1/2 gallons
Full
Minimal water
level
1
1
36 gallons
10 to 12 gallons
1
Tap running
Fill basin
TUB BATH
SHAVING
20 gallons
1 gallon
Tap running
Wash and rinse in
dishpans or sink
DISHWASHING
30 gallons
5 gallons
AUTOMATIC
DISHWASHER
TOILET
FLUSHING
WASHING
MACHINE
Conservation
use
Full cycle
Short cycle
16 gallons
7 gallons
Tap running
Fill basin
2 gallons
1 gallon
Depending on
tank size
Using tank displacement bottles
5 to 7 gallons
4 to 6 gallons
Full cycle, top
water level
Short cycle,
minimal water level
60 gallons
27 gallons
1
Average hose
OUTDOOR
WATERING
10 gallons per
minute
Lowest priority
Eliminate.
—figures supplied by American Waterworks Association.
!