Many furnaces are equipped with a small water pump that removes condensation from the heating process.  The common approach is to send that water via a flexible tube to a drain.  If homeowners would place a bucket between the tube and the drain they would be able to save that water for at least two uses.  First, it makes great water for house plants.  Second, dumping a weekʼs worth of saved water into a top-loading wash machine will usually provide enough water to do a load of laundry.  (It should, of course, not be assumed safe for drinking.)

The impact of one home owner not consuming 8-10 gallons of water processed by the city is, pardon the pun, a drop in the bucket.  However, if a thousand Wausau home owners took advantage of this source of free water, 8,000-10,000 gallons of water a week would not need to be processed by the city to just go down the drain.

 During the summer months water from basement dehumidifiers can be used in the same way.