Sara should replace the leaky faucet in her kitchen first. This is because a leaky faucet can waste a significant amount of water over time, contributing to water wastage and potentially higher water bills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a faucet that drips once per second can waste over 3,000 gallons of water in a year. By fixing the leaky faucet, Sara can immediately start conserving water and reducing her water usage.
Once the leaky faucet has been fixed, Sara can then move on to replacing the other items in her home to make it more eco-friendly. The next item she should consider replacing is her old washing machine, as it uses a significant amount of water per load compared to newer, high-efficiency models. By replacing her old washing machine with a more water-efficient model, she can further reduce her water consumption and energy usage.
Finally, Sara should consider replacing her toilet last. While toilets are one of the biggest water users in a home, replacing a toilet can be a more expensive and labor-intensive project compared to fixing a leaky faucet or replacing a washing machine. By prioritizing the faucet and washing machine first, Sara can start conserving water and energy more quickly and cost-effectively.
Question
Sara is working on making her house more eco-friendly. She has a number of upgrades she wants to make such as replacing her toilet that uses 5 gallons per flush with a new toilet that uses 1.2 gallons per flush. She also wants to replace a leaky faucet in her kitchen. Finally, she would like to replace her old washing machine that uses 35 gallons of water per load with a new high-efficiency model that only uses 10 gallons per load.
Which item should Sara replace first and why? Support your answer with evidence and reasoning.
1 answer