How to Conserve Water
These days, we all must do our part to conserve energy and all our natural resources, especially water. Water is an integral part of our daily lives, and we need water to survive. Here are the very easy ways you can conserve the water that you use.
1. Take a wrench a check your pipes, faucets, toilet tanks and washers for any leaks. Replace broken washers or leaking faucets. You don’t know it, but leaking water wastes a lot of water within a year, or even a month.
2. Get a half-gallon container, fill it with water, seal it and put it inside your toilet tank. Weights like these “fool” the toilet tanks that they are actually full, but are still able to function as they normally do.
3. You can check for toilet leaks by putting food coloring into the tank. Wait for a few minutes, and if you see the color leaking out, you can then fix your toilet accordingly.
4. Invest in faucets and showerheads that conserve water. Invest in faucet aerators, which restrict the flow of water up to half and instead inject air bubbles to make the water flow look like normal. Invest in low-flow showerheads.
5. Take shorter showers. Installing a bathroom clock will be useful in monitoring the time you use bathing. You can also save water while bathing by only filling the tub up to 1/3 with water. You can also do what people in the Third World do–they fill a bucket with water first, and use a dipper to bathe. You can restrict your water usage but still get the same bath. You should also turn off the shower head when applying soap or shampoo on your body.
6. Throw all your detritus in the trash can, not in the toilet. Keep your pipes clean. Maintaining the places where run flows through ensures that there will be a lesser chance of stoppage and overflow of water.
7. Don’t leave the water running when washing your face, cleaning your hands or brushing your teeth. Use a glass of water for brushing your teeth. Invest in a basin which you can half-fill with water first, before washing.
8. When you need to defrost meat, leave it overnight in the refrigerator instead of putting it under running water.
9. Put a pail underneath your dripping airconditioner and use this to clean your car’s wheels or water the plants. You can do the same with rain water by setting up a drum in the open or under your open gutters to catch rain water.
10. Schedule your laundry to ensure that you get a full load every time you launder clothes. Use the soapy water to clean your car’s wheels, clean the laundry area or even to flush toilets. Basically, anything that needs washing like old bottles or kitchen tile floors can benefit from used laundry water.
11. Try to do all your washing in basins of water, and not running water. For example, fruits and vegetables can be washed in a basin of water and instead of throwing the water away, you can use it on the plants instead.
12. Minimize the use of kitchen utilities to save on water you will need wash them with later.
13. When using automated cleaners like laundry washers or dishwashers, make sure that you have them on full load before using them.
14. Water your plants using a minimal standard. Lawn grass only needs an inch of water a week. Other people only water their lawn when they see their plants or lawn grasses are wilting, or when they do not spring back when stepped on or when their leaves change to a sickly yellow color.
15. When using hoses, invest in a pistol-type sprayer that minimizes your water use and does not expend water when you are not pressing the nozzle. Using a spray nozzle is also very useful for saving water while washing your car.
16. Other ways you can save water in the garden? Weed your lawn and invest in mulch. Weeds are competitors to your plants and mulch can help retain water. Plant lawn plant varieties that are well-adapted to your locality’s climate and temperatures.
17. Sweep your driveway and sidewalk instead of hosing them down.
18. If you have a swimming pool, use a cover when you’re not using it. An uncovered pool loses an inch of water every week from evaporation. It also helps the pool keep clean, lessening the necessity of having to drain it and refill it again.