Smart Shopping: Water Wise

WSVN -- Peter: "Everyday we spend millions and millions of water, but we don't need too."

Shopping for a way to save water and save money on your payments is as simple as walking into your local home improvement store. At Lowe's, smart shoppers know how to get the best deals.

Peter: "I compare prices, of course, and I look for the best product to suit the job that I'm doing."

First, look for a water-efficient showerhead.

Deeto: "It saves you 30 percent of the extra water you would get from a normal showerhead."

Next, think about how much water you waste in every flush.

Deeto: "When we get down to toilets, most toilets are a standard 1.6 gallons per flush, but if you want to save a little bit more water, you go to the eco toilets which are 1.28 gallons."

Make sure to spot special price tags.

Georgia Burgess: "I'm going to of course look for yellow stickers because those are going to be the best prices."

And for even bigger savings apply for a Miami-Dade County rebate.

Maribel Balbin, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department: "A resident of Dade County can purchase, for example, a toilet, that is high efficiency and receive up to a hundred dollars as a rebate."

Now, if you need a new washing machine, consider one that's eco smart.

Deeto: "Based on nine loads of laundry a week, it saves you up $170 to $250 per year."

And there's more good news here. You will be able to get a rebate check for this purchase as well: $150.

Georgia Burgess: "In this economy, anytime you buy something, and you can get money back for buying a product that you have to have, it's a very worthwhile investment of your time and effort."

Maribel Balbin: "We want to make sure that we save as much water as we can today, so that we don't have to produce it at a higher cost in the future."

Maribel Balbin from the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department says their program even offers freebie fixtures like kitchen and bathroom faucets and showerheads.

Maribel Balbin: "All they have to do is come to Miami-Dade County, one of the offices of the Water and Sewer Department, and they bring the old one, and we provide them with a free one."

If you don't like the county's freebie fixtures, don't worry, they will give at least a $10 rebate on water efficient shower heads. Another money saver is to check your pipes regularly for any leaks.

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