Sterling Ranch is a conscientious community dedicated to sustainability and we’ve elevated water resource management to new levels! From creating partnerships that bring renewable water to the community to providing every home with state-of-the-art technology that helps residents monitor their water usage, we have gone above and beyond when it comes to wise water management. 

In the spirit of stewardship, we wanted to share some tips for reducing water usage that every homeowner can use. Bring on the days of saving money and positively impacting the environment, all at the same time!

Tips for reducing water usage in the home 

Here are some simple ways you can make living in your home more sustainable when it comes to all things water.

A person waters a potted indoor plant with a white watering can near a window in their Sterling Ranch home in Littleton, CO.

1. Repurpose

Rather than pouring water down the drain when washing veggies, collect it with a colander and bowl and use it to water plants. You can repurpose water used for steaming and boiling the same way (just make sure the water is salt-free!).

Woman and young girl wearing rubber gloves wash dishes together at a kitchen sink, standing by a large window with bright natural light, in a welcoming home southwest of Denver in Littleton, CO.

2. Make use of dual sinks

When washing dishes, fill up one side of your dual sink with hot, soapy water and the other side with clear, cool water for rinsing. This way, the water won’t keep running as you wash a quick batch of dishes—and you’ll likely save gallons.

A digital shower timer displaying 7:40 sits on a bathroom sink next to a faucet, with two toothbrushes in cups seen in the background—capturing a simple morning routine in Sterling Ranch, Colorado.

3. Take four-minute showers

Five-minute showers used to be quite popular at summer camps, so why not bring them back and shave off another minute? Easy, quick and efficient, the four-minute shower will save you time and money on your water bill. Make timing showers into a game and play it with your whole family. The kids will surely love it.

Person in overalls uses a wrench to tighten a pipe under a sink in a well-lit room southwest of Denver.

4. Check faucets, pipes and toilets for leaks

Small, pesky leaks can go unnoticed for a while, so make sure to regularly check your faucets, pipes and toilets. A tip: check your water meter’s reading before and after you go away for the day. If the reading changes, there’s likely to be a leak since no water should have been used while you were away.

Bonus tip: conserve water outside with a smart irrigation controller

Thank goodness for technology! At Sterling Ranch, every home comes with a Rachio smart irrigation controller, which helps regulate our residents’ outdoor watering system in real time. Rachio has so many incredible features like automatically adjusting outdoor watering schedules based on local and current weather conditions, so we’re not watering lawns during a rainstorm. Learn more about the Rachio smart irrigation controller.

Three lawn sprinklers spraying water over green grass at Sterling Ranch CO, with water droplets visible in the air and a blurred background.

It’s easy to commit to water sustainability at Sterling Ranch

Because we’ve cared about water sustainability from Sterling Ranch’s inception, it’s easy for our residents to feel good about wisely managing water. For instance, the dual-water meter that comes with every home accounts for indoor and outdoor water usage, helping homeowners adjust their water usage habits. Learn more about what we are doing for community and home water sustainability. 


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