Texas mom slashes water bills in viral TikTok video
HOUSTON - Is your water bill getting higher as the drought continues? A Texas mom's TikTok video went viral for showing viewers how to cut their water bills. It's been viewed more than 700,000 times.
RELATED: Texas drought worsens with 80% of state affected; Houston area sees extreme conditions
The mom, who says she home schools her five children, says replacing a worn-out flapper valve in her toilet tank has slashed her water bill by $50 a month because it wastes less water with each flush.
"I did some research and found out if you simply replace the flapper with one of the water-saving ones when you flush it, it looks like this. I'm going to flush it one more time. See how quickly it closes to save money, to save water," demonstrates the mom, who goes by @TeamHayHomeSchools on TikTok.
Her tip is a good one, recommended by water-saving experts. You can buy new, water-saving toilet flapper valves in hardware stores for a few dollars.
And we found more water saving tips from the Environmental Protection Agency:
- Fix any leaks in all faucets, toilets, and the dishwasher
- Run the dishwasher. It uses less water than washing dishes by hand
- Take shorter showers, and turn off the sink faucet while brushing your teeth
- Water yards early in the morning to reduce evaporation by the sun
- Cover the pool to prevent evaporation
- Use WaterSense faucets, shower heads and toilets, and an Energy Star dishwasher and washing machine, which use 33% less water.