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.

Question

Which item should Sara replace first and why?

Answer 1

The first item Sara should replace is the leaky faucet in her kitchen. Although the toilet and washing machine upgrades are important for water conservation, fixing the leaky faucet should be prioritized as it is a source of continuous water waste. A leaky faucet can waste a significant amount of water over time, typically several gallons per day. By fixing the leaky faucet, Sara can immediately start conserving water and reduce her water consumption. After resolving the faucet issue, she can then proceed with replacing the toilet and washing machine to further enhance her eco-friendly home.