Of course, we should be trying to conserve water year-round, but here are some ways to specifically prepare for wintertime water wasters.

Drip your faucets. 

Wait...how can dripping your faucets save water – doesn’t that use more water? Yes and no. When temperatures drop below freezing, leaving your faucets to drip when you’re asleep or not home will help prevent a pipe from bursting. You waste a whole lot more water from a leaky or gushing pipe than you do from taking this precaution!

Keep warm air on the water pipes. If you have water pipes behind walls, they could freeze and burst. Keep your pipes exposed to warm air to reduce pipe freezing.

Want to take the conservation a step further? Stick a large pot or a bucket under the faucet that you’re dripping. You can use that water to flush the toilet or water plants, so it won’t go to waste!

Winterize your pipes. 

Turn the water off to your outside spigots and disconnect your garden hoses.

Preventing burst pipes and leaks are your best bets when it comes to conserving water in winter. On top of dripping your faucets, it’s a good idea to make sure outdoor pipes, like the ones running to your backyard spigot, are wrapped. This way, when temperatures drop below freezing, they stay warmer than the air and are less likely to develop leaks or burst.