It is a big deal, especially in areas of short water supplies like So. CA. I know someone who gets a drink of water and lets it continue to run while drinking from the glass. There are millions of households, and small amounts saved in each one is helpful. Every drop is precious. Thank you for what you do.;

I handle my water usage the same way that you do, suzieque. Water is too precious a commodity to waste it like that. We're not short of water here, but even so...

I'm very conscious of water usage as I live in SoCal. I try to use the least amount of water possible in my daily living. That's one reason that I rarely use the food disposer because you have to let water flow into it while it is running.

In answer to your original question, I turn the water off after wetting my toothbrush, then on again to rinse.

You'd be a hero to my daughter, an environmentalist, who has a campaign to stop useless water wasting. She's a stickler about turning it off and gets on her son about it. Good for you. I turn it off too, but have to admit I let it run in the kitchen to get hot water to wash my hands since it takes forever for it to appear. Water has to travel quite a way to the kitchen from the hot water heater.

I am very careful about water useage and turn the faucet off while brushing. We have delicious water her in my city and I don't want to waste a drop. Besides that, I am on a water meter.

I don't waste water either.

Lily, I have the same situation with hot water. Sometimes I just wash my hands in cold, although with Raynaud's that can be a problem. One thing I do is use the running water to fill the tea kettle, or a pot to cook pasta in later, or a jug for watering houseplants, or something.

Growing up in NYC, we always let the water run--to get hot and to get cold in the summer. Then when I grew up I learned that the water didn't come magically from the ground; it is transported from reservoirs north of the city. I felt bad for all that water-running we did.

I turn off the water and am also trying to change my lifestyle to make certain we waste as little as possible.
Our water takes a very long time to reach the kitchen sink and the bathroom in our master. But the small bathroom off of the living room and kitchen area is right on the other side of the wall from our hot water tank so the water in that bathroom gets very hot fast. So I try to always go there so I can wash my hands with the instant hot water. And when I need to catch hot water for something I go there for it. But there is no getting around the problem when needing the shower it has to run but i do fill up my watering can there for my indoor plants.

Do you happen to have any bathrooms that are closer to the hot water heater that get hot faster?

I'm another one who is conscious about water waste. Electricity, too.

I always turn off the water while I brush....it's a habit from way back.

GREAT to see so many responses, and each of you turns off the water, as I do.

I suspect that those who don't won't post - . But hopefully it'll make them think about it.

I always turn the water off.

We also have an on and off knob/switch for our shower. Get wet, turn off the water and soap up then turn it back on to rinse. So needless to say...of course we turn off the water when we brush!

I am very good about not leaving lights on (could be because I like the dark) - but am guilty of leaving taps running and using too much water - and we are on a metre as well - with another 9% increase about to hit. In the summer I do fill up bottles from the tap and pour them into a bucket to water the lawn. But yes, I should be more careful - and I do love very hot baths - right up to the neck (not good for rosacea) but I love the heat and I do live in Canada. The white dog and I drink bottled water - helps keep his eyes from yellowing - he is white. Toronto water is supposed to be fine, but at 7 months our white dog started to develop yellow stains - looked on Eskie board and sure enough bottled water was recommended - he is now nearly 10 with no yellowing. My doctor told me to drink the bottled water. I don't go crazy with it though.

Susan, you and I both have the same problem with Raynaud's. It's very painful to have cold water on your hands. I think you live in an old farmhouse too. It's something we have to deal with. Raven, the powder room may be a little closer to the heater. I'll try that.

I don't leave the water run, we live in the country on a well. We have no water shortage here. I don't leave lights on either.

Sue

water on only when I want some. To get hot water, I know just how much to collect in the empty bottle by the kitchen sink, which then gets emptied in to the watering can, which eventually gets emptied by watering trees.

I also use a bucket to catch the cold water at the shower, which later gets used to flush the toilet.

Everything gets used to its best option at my house.

Moni

My grandmother was a tyrant about not letting the water run. She had lived on a farm where she fetched all the water from a pump in the yard. (Dishwater went onto the garden.)

I turn off the water while I brush my teeth. I'm aware of the wasted water, which translates into my failing to brush thoroughly if the water is running.

We have an electric pump on our water heater. The cost of running the pump is about the same as the cost of the water we would waste waiting for hot water at a tap. I LOVE the luxury of getting hot water in two seconds at every faucet.

Good doobies here - fabulous.

Well too close to barnyard, no cattle in last eight years, following uncle's demise ... but water still smells when it's hot. Failed test when farm sold: bad for both e Coli and coliforms: haven't tested it lately.

I haul water from the city in jugs for drinking and most cooking, use about a third of a mug when brushing teeth, to rinse mouth, squirt about two shots of water from mouth through brush, then wiggle (fairly clean) brush in mug, drink the rest of the mug.

Hasn't killed me - yet.

ole joyful

When we were kids, our father taught us how to take what he called a "military shower." When he was active Army out "in the trenches," water was a very precious commodity. You get wet and lather up a wash cloth with soap. Turn off the water and scrub yourself. Turn the water back on to rinse off. I'm in my early 60s now, and to this day I take "millitary showers."

No, I don't run the water while brushing my teeth.

It does bug me that apparently you should rinse out your recycling cans and cartons of all residue. That makes for a lot of water usage.

I've been through several droughts here in CA, so l learned early on to turn off when brushing.

I also shut water off while brushing, water bill here is high because we raise hogs. (They use a lot). we are very conservative with all utilities.

My hot water heater has an electric recirculating pump attached to it, so all my taps except one get hot water almost immediately. I love it because I don't waste any water waiting for it to get hot.

I wanted to put in a tankless water heater, but the installation for my house was cost prohibitive.

I always shut off the water while brushing.

Even my 2 yr.old granddaughter knows to turn it off while brushing. She also turns it off when she's soaping up her hands when she's washing them. I taught my daughter when she was young, now she's taught her daughter.

Me too, me too. I do the payment for utility bills, that should be enough reason to pay attention how much I'm using.

When I moved into this home, I replaced and add ceiling fans to every room, well almost. Even the kitchen has a ceiling fan added. It saves running the a/c. Then, I replaced all the light bulbs to energy efficient ones.

As for water, no reason for wasting such precious resource. I can do without electricity but life can be unbearable when lacking of water.

When we conserve these resources, we are sharing what we're not using with others rather than hogging them all. Those people at work that you've encountered are clueless about life, living and sharing.

This post was edited by ntt_hou on Wed, Nov 27, 13 at 1:50

Okay I am ready for the "how could you posts" and anything else yall choose to do to me. I leave the water running when I brush my teeth. I have sensitive teeth and rinsing with cold water makes my teeth hurt. I need the water warm to do salt water rinses after I brush my teeth. I do however have a bowl I catch the water in while waiting for the water to warm up. I use this water to water my plants.Once I get hot water I turn off the taps, and turn them on to rinse & do the salt water rinses.

I don't let the water run while brushing.

Orchidllauraga, I don't think you're in the category of "ignorance". You're still conserving water in your own way which is not ignorance in your part. I think, we're talking about people who doesn't care about saving water which is plain inconsiderate.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

In my area, more water is used and wasted for commercial and agricultural purposes than in houses. In houses, more water is used outside than inside for most people.

It costs more money to use a resource like water prudently than to waste it. Outdoors, it's all about removing/reducing lawns and using drip emitters and drought tolerant plants, etc. If you're concerned about reducing indoor water use, have you

-replaced any old toilets with the newest models that use less water?

-replaced a top loading washing machine with a front loader?

-replaced old faucets and shower heads with low flow models?

-replaced your dishwasher within the last 5 years (the newer the model, the less water used) ?

Until all of that is done, there's probably no need to worry about whether you do or don't keep water running while brushing your teeth. That's hardly even a drop in the bucket.

I leave the water running. I like to rinse the brush several times while I am brushing.

I also leave the water running. I like to rinse the brush/my mouth as I brush. Although I confess that I really don't think about things like this. In the scheme of things, I'm not going to waste that much water while brushing my teeth, no matter how I do it.

I use modern plumbing fixtures, although not those water wise toilets that don't flush completely. I'm not part of the "if it's yellow, let it mellow" group. We were on our own well before we started building our house; we'll be on a public water system in our new house, but water is plentiful and cheap. I don't deliberately waste water, but I'm also not terribly concerned about saving it.

What a shame.

Rinsing while brushing doesn't preclude turning the water off and on.

And I hardly think that "so much water is wasted that me wasting it doesn't matter" is valid. Every bit helps.

Oh well. Seems that the majority that posted here are cognizant of the issue and responsible. I'll still continue to do my part, as will those of you who posted positively.