Everybody knows how important it is to save water. Using water with prudence at home is the easiest way of contributing in the preservation of the environment. On average, a family of four consumes 50-70 gallons of water each day. This accounts for 70,000 to 100,000 gallons per year. By reducing your daily consumption of water, you can not only help the environment but also save on your water bills, roughly $100 per year. Consuming less water does not require compromises, rather just minor changes in your daily habits.
Reduce the Water in Your Toilet’s Tank
A traditional toilet accounts for 28% of our daily water consumption. You can save gallons of water every day by changing your toilets habits just a bit. Modifying your old toilet, can make it water efficient by the addition of some weight in the flush tank. For example, fill a half gallon bottle with sand or gravel and place it inside the water tank. The next time you use your toilet, it will save half a gallon of water with every flush. For a family of four, your small effort can save up to 14,000 gallons of water per year.
Take Shorter Showers
Statistically, an average eight minute shower consumes about 40-80 gallons of water, depending upon the shower head. By reducing your shower time to 4 minutes, you can save about 20-40 gallons of water every time you shower. This way, a total of 70,000 to 150,000 of water can be economized per year. By turning off the shower while applying soap or shampoo and turning it back when ready to rinse, you can save more than imaginable amounts of water. Also try avoiding the “power shower” settings, as your simple adjustment will account for huge loss in a long run.
Don’t Leave Your Faucet Running
Keep a check on your faucets at home and work. Avoid running the faucet constantly while brushing your teeth, or wetting your face or using a razor. Have a habit of turning off your faucet when not in use. Do not ignore a dripping faucet; even a small leak can waste gallons of water every day. Use faucets installed with aerators to improve the spray velocity.
Only Run Your Washer with a Full Load
Using your dishwasher and clothes washer smartly can save a lot of water as well. Use your dishwasher only when it is full. Try loading utensils in a space saving way rather than just stuffing them inside haphazardly . Try reusing “nearly-clean” utensils such as water glasses to save water. Avoid using the dishwasher for washing a few utensils, instead hand wash them.
Don’t Waste Cooking Water
People tend to drown their vegetables in water rather than just covering them, while washing, which wastes a lot of water. Start by filling lesser water in pans while cooking vegetables and this too will add to your preservation efforts. The water used for boiling vegetables can be reused for making soup and gravy. By doing so, you not only save water, but in fact you are able to utilize the essential nutrients dissolved in that water.
