Water Conservation Tips for the Winter Months

During the cold winter months, we spend more time indoors and can end up using just as much water—if not more—than the summer months. Excessive hot water usage is a major concern as it wastes electricity as well as water.

Here are some tips to conserve water in the winter months to make conditions easier on the environment and on your wallet.

Insulate Hot Water Pipes

Do you find yourself running the shower or faucet for minutes before using the water because it does not warm fast enough? This is common in the winter months when cold temperatures make it more difficult for water to travel through pipes while maintaining heat. A way to combat this problem is insulating hot water pipes to minimize heat loss. Next time you run the water, you’ll be enjoying a hot shower much sooner!

Invest in a Tankless Water Heater

Along those same lines, upgrading to a tankless water heater can drastically increase the efficiency of your system. Instead of constantly keeping a supply of hot water in a tank, a tankless system heats water quickly on demand. If your current water heater is in good working condition, it’s better for the environment to keep using it. But if it is time for an upgrade, consider purchasing a tankless water heater.

Drip Your Faucet

Although typically a leaking faucet can waste a lot of water, during the time period when temperatures dip below zero you will want to drip your water. This inexpensive insurance prevents pipes from freezing and bursting in your home, wasting a lot more water than a day of dripping could do.

Find where the water comes into your home and drip a faucet at the other end of the house, pulling water through the majority of your system’s pipes. Catch the dripping water in a bucket and use it to water your houseplants!


These easy tips for winter can conserve water when it’s cold outside! Do you have any tips that we missed? Comment them below – We’d love to hear them!

5 Ways to Conserve Water in the Winter

Water conservation isn’t something we think much about during harsh Minnesota winters.

If you take a look outside, there is no grass or garden maintenance to do and water does a pretty good job of conserving itself by staying frozen, right? Well, sort of.

Take a look inside your home and you’ll find plenty of ways to conserve water, even during these cold winter months!

Here are some water conservation techniques that are particularly helpful in the winter:

Drip Your Faucets

At first, this may seem counterintuitive to conserving water, but by letting your faucets drip while you’re sleeping or out of the house will prevent the pipes from bursting. Consider the wasted water and other dangers during the winter; letting your faucets drip may potentially save a lot of water.

Utilize a Shower Bucket

Dripping your faucets segways nicely into the next point: Find good uses for the water you drip. To conserve the maximum amount of water, place a bucket or bowl under dripping faucets and use the water to flush your toilet or water your plants!

Insulate Your Hot Water Pipes

One of the best ways to warm up on a cold winter day is with a hot shower. You may have noticed that it takes longer for the water to warm up in the winter than in the summer. That’s because your pipes are cold. Insulating your hot water pipes helps the water warm up quicker and wastes less water while you wait for it to heat up. Also, it protects your pipes from bursting.

This is another instance in which a shower bucket would be helpful. Instead of letting all that water go to waste while you wait for the water to heat up, catch it in a bucket and, again, use it for flushing the toilet, watering plants, or any other use you have for extra water.

Locate Your Water Shut-off Valve

Should a pipe burst or some other catastrophic event happen with your pipes, it is VERY important that you know where the water shut-off valve is on your property. When an emergency comes around, the sooner you can shut off the water, the better. You’ll save money on water and damage repairs, additionally, you’ll save hundreds of gallons of water if you can shut that gushing pipe off right away!

Check for Leaks After the First Thaw

During the winter months, day and night temperatures can be drastically different. As your pipes expand and contract with those changes, they are placed under a great deal of stress. This can cause pipes to leak or break, which can cause massive water loss and high utility costs, so be sure to have a plumber check your pipes for damage after the first thaw.


The average person uses almost 70 gallons of water per day, and that’s only indoor water usage. Peak water usage during the summer for a household skyrockets up to 350 gallons per day! Whether we’re talking about water conservation in the summer or in the winter, it should become a part of all of our daily routines.

Visit our website to learn more.

A Preview of Minnesota AWWA's 101st Annual Conference

The Minnesota Section of the American Water Works Association’s 101st Annual Conference is right around the corner and we couldn’t be more thrilled! Following last year’s historic celebration of a century, the annual conference continues Minnesota AWWA’s focus on educating attendees on water quality and treatment, public health, and safety. Water professionals from across Minnesota will gather in Duluth from September 12th-15th for a combination of social and educational events dedicated to preserving and protecting our state’s most vital resource...WATER!


The conference, which takes place over the course of four days, kicks off on Tuesday with a day of fun events hosted by the Minnesota AWWA Philanthropic Committee. The events — sporting clays, a golf tournament, and a fishing tournament — are not only sure to inspire some friendly competition, but also raise funds for the life-changing missions of Water for People and the Water Equation.

The conference convenes at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center overlooking the massive and breathtaking Lake Superior. What better backdrop to discuss water than a view of the largest lake in North America! If you’ve attended the conference in the past, you already know that each day is jam-packed with networking and educational events, including workshops and exhibits. Here’s what you can expect at this year’s conference:

Tuesday, September 12:

• Board meetings
• Philanthropic events

Wednesday, September 13:

• Opening sessions with a welcome by Minnesota AWWA Chair Tony Belden, and AWWA President Brenda Lennox
• Keynote speaker Erik Therwanger
• Vendor exhibitions
• Competitions (including Meter Madness, Hydrant Hysteria, Pipe Tapping, and Best In Glass Water Taste Test)
• Water for People silent auction
• The MAC Social at Grandma’s Sports Garden

Thursday, September 14:

• Concurrent technical sessions and speakers
• Annual business meetings and lunch
• Section election results
• AWWA Appreciation Reception and Dinner
• Awards presentation
• Test your knowledge at the Young Professionals Trivia Tournament at Grizzly’s Restaurant

Friday, September 15:

• Technical sessions
• Panel discussion
• Farewell lunch for attendees

Join us in this opportunity to network and learn from the state’s top water professionals at the 101st Annual Minnesota AWWA Conference. You can register here. Remember to get social with us on Facebook and Twitter, and share your conference experiences with us.

The Best Smartphone Apps for Conserving Water

We are well into 2017 and the high water (use) season is right around the corner. What can you do to keep a little money in your pocket? To get started, think about all the ways that you can conserve water and not let your hard earned money flow down the drain. In fact, with all the available phone apps out there, let your phone do all the work of conserving water! Take a look below at the best apps for conserving water.

Dropcountr

This app takes a look at your entire individual water usage either hourly, daily, or monthly, allowing you to more deeply understand how your resources are being used in comparison to homes near you. Dropcountr even sends you personalized tips on how to conserve money as well as water by sending you rebates. The greatest benefit of this free app is that it connects water utility services directly to the consumer!

Water Timer

This interactive app helps to cut down on those long leisurely winter showers. Water Timer calculates the water and money that you could save from shortening your showers.This app is only available on iOS devices.

Water1der

If you are looking to teach water conservation to kids and teens, the Water1der app is an excellent choice. This app includes easy-to-read information and games that range from word scramble to multiple choice to true or false questions. The content of the games covers everything from the water cycle and water usage to water pollution and conversation. This app is only available on iOS devices.

Rain Harvest

If you are looking to begin harvesting your own water, look to Rain Harvest. This app estimates how much rainwater you could potentially collect from a rain storm. This is done by formulating rainfall, efficiency, and the total area that could catch rainwater.

Apps allow us to do everything from keeping track of our fitness to streaming music to finding shops and restaurants while on the go. In addition to these water conservation apps, you can find apps on landscaping and irrigation tracking, water fountain locaters, water leak calculators, and more! Find the perfect app to help your household conserve water.

For more information on water conservation, visit the American Water Works Association of Minnesota.

Water Conservation Tips for the Winter

While we typically think of water conservation during the hot and arid months of summer, water conservation is an important issue all year round. Take a glance below to see how you can conserve water at home in the colder months.

Be Careful with the flushes

Flushing toilets can use upwards of two gallons per flush, and even more with older toilet bowl models. Additionally, check your toilet for leaks. Leaking toilets can waste hundreds of gallons a day. Check for leaks by dropping food coloring into the toilet tank. You will be able to tell if a leak is present if you see coloring in the bowl after a few minutes. If it is in your budget, consider upgrading your toilet to a low-flush, higher efficiency toilet.

Turn the Faucet Off

Easier in theory than in practice, the small act of turning the faucet off when not in use will make a big impact. Turn the sink off as you brush your teeth. Keep the faucet off when you shave. Don’t leave the tap running while you wash the dishes. Use a dishwasher and washing machine that will recycle water and only use them when they are full. These simple adjustments will provide a big impact on your water bill.

Ready the Pipes

Cracked and burst pipes can cost a fortune. Winterize your pipes to prevent paying astronomical water and plumbing repair bills. Take some precaution to protect your pipes indoors and outdoors. For indoor pipes, insulate them so they stay warmer, heat more quickly, and are less likely to leak. Wrap outdoor pipes as well in order to protect them from unforgiving winter air. Additionally, ensure that you know what to do in the event of a water pipe burst. Locate the shut-off valve in your home in case your pipes do burst to prevent flooding.

Take a Second Look at Your Shower

Water used in the shower can account for a big portion of your water bill. Low-flow showerheads can make a big difference when it comes to water conservation. In fact, it can save you thousands of gallons of water and hundreds of dollars a year. While you shop for a new showerhead, consider decreasing the amount of time you spend in the shower. Long, languid showers will run up your monthly bills and dry out your skin.

Another trick you can do is to collect water while you run the shower and wait for it to heat up. Even if you take short showers, any water you use waiting for the temperature to be just right is clean water going right down the drain. A bucket of water collected from your shower can be used to water your plants, feed your pets, cook with, mop the floor, and much more. It’s clean and you pay for it, why not use it?

Water conservation isn’t a seasonal responsibility. You can easily implement good water habits year-round with a little extra effort. For more ways that you can conserve water throughout the year, visit the Minnesota section of the American Water Works Association today.