Shower Smarter this Season!#
Did you know that showering accounts for about 17% of indoor water use per year? Shower smarter this season by installing a water-saving showerhead and reducing your shower to five minutes.
Our conservation efforts as a city are critical in addressing current and future challenges including climate change, water scarcity and population growth. Your actions can make a difference!
Need a water-efficient showerhead? Participate in our Showerhead Swap Program and exchange your old showerhead for a free new, water-saving showerhead at one of many events this summer!
These water-efficient showerheads use 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm). The average showerhead typically uses around 2.5 gpm.
The showerhead is equipped with efficient spray force and coverage which will provide you with the same satisfaction as old showerheads.
Check out local events where our Water Conservation team will swap out showerheads!
- Aug. 10: Poudre River Fest
- Located at New Belgium Brewery, 500 Linden St.
- Noon-6:00 p.m.
- Sept. 10: Harmony Library
- Located at 4614 S. Shields
- 1:00pm-3:00pm
- Sept. 13: Old Town Library
- Located at 201 Peterson St.
- 9:00 a.m.-noon
- Sept. 15: Open Streets
- More information to come
Can’t make it to one of these events? Schedule a time to swap out your showerhead at 222 Laporte Ave. by emailing Haley Mendoza at hmendoza@fcgov.com.
Check back soon for a tutorial video guiding you through the quick and easy installation process. We also have instructions below.
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Twist off old shower head where it connects to the main arm of the shower (long silver bar extending from the wall). Shower head not twisting off? Stabilize the arm with one hand and use a wrench to twist off the showerhead.
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Once the shower head has been removed, make sure to remove all the former plumber’s tape surrounding the arm.
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Not a necessary step, but you can run the shower without the showerhead to make sure all debris is cleared before putting on the new showerhead.
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Take plumber's tape and carefully wrap it in line over the threads on the arm two to three times where the new showerhead will be connected.
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Wrap tape flat and clockwise or in the same direction as the showerhead will be installed.
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Make sure no tape overlaps the hole; you don’t want to prevent the flow of water.
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Grab your new water-efficient showerhead, connect it to the arm and twist to tighten. Start off by hand tightening. Once you have tightened it as much as you can, take a wrench to finish the tightening.
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Turn on the shower and check for leaks.
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Enjoy your new water-saving showerhead!
For starters, just by swapping out 250 showerheads, we will save 1.18 million gallons of water!
Also, by participating in the Showerhead Swap, you will contribute to our water conservation goal of reducing water use to 130 gallons, per capita, per day (GPCD) by the year 2030. Find out more about our community's goals in the Our Climate Future Action Guide and Water Efficiency Plan.
Want to check out more environmentally conscious ways to shift your shower habits?
If every person in Fort Collins took part in the Showerhead Swap and reduced showers by one to two minutes, we could save four gallons per shower or 1,000 gallons per year per person!
Did You Know?
Leaving grass clippings where they fall adds nutrients to the soil. A mulching mower chops grass into small pieces.
The fireplace damper and doors should be closed when not in use. It prevents warmed or cooled air from easily escaping the house.
Turning off printers, copiers, coffee machines and other equipment at end of day saves energy.