Be it in a rural or urban area, access to water has become extremely difficult these days. The scarcity of this resource has become a global reality and can be felt in agricultural, industrial sectors and also in human consumption. The issue needs to be dealt with at the grassroot level and more and more people’s engagement is required for that purpose. Next to air, water is an extremely essential commodity for the preservation of life. Being a finite element, mismanagement can result in shortages of water in the near future. These impending shortages can be alleviated by water conservation. Water is essential for everything and it is important that we conserve whenever possible. Cutting down on daily water usage at home is really simple.
Below are few everyday water conservation tips, one can follow at home to help preserve the planet.
1. Check your toilet for leaks
Check for leaks in the bowl, if the toilet is leaking it can lead to wastage of over 100 gallons of water a day. To reduce the volume of water consumed in each flush, one can place a cistern displacement device in the toilet cistern which can be easily acquired from your water provider.
2. Take shorter showers
Keep a bucket handy in the bathroom. Typically, a shower uses five to ten gallons of water every minute. Limit the time of your showers under 5 minutes. You can save more water when you soap up, wash and rinse off by turning off the water till then.
3. Install water-saving showerheads or flow restrictors
Insert a regulator in your shower to put a limit on flow rates. An ordinary hardware supply store stocks flow restrictors or showerheads which will cut the shower flow to at least three gallons per minute. They are easy to install and inexpensive.
4. Conserve water when you brush your teeth
Don’t leave the water running when you brush your teeth. Before brushing, turn it on just to wet your toothbrush. Fill a glass to rinse out your mouth. Doing this can save three gallons of water per day.
5. Check faucets and pipes for leaks
An inexpensive washer is enough to check leaks waste. Leaks outside the house can be more wasteful than inside leaks especially when it happens on your main water line.
6. Conserve water by stopping the drips
Even a tiny drip can waste more than 50 gallons of water each day. If they aren’t repaired, then fix a dripping tap. You will also save money on your monthly water bill.
7. Conserve water when doing laundry
You can cut down on indoor water use by waiting to have a full load. An automatic washer consumes more than 35 gallons of water per cycle. Cut down on in-between unnecessary washes and you will also have fewer loads for laundry.
8. Conserve water when watering your garden
Native plants use less water than exotic ones. Water your plants in the morning when the temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation. Winds are less intense so it helps in most of the water reaching the plants. Drip irrigation which is a highly efficient watering system can also be considered.
9. Store bottle of water in the refrigerator
Keep a jug of tap water-filled and place it in the fridge. Fill drinking water in a bottle and keep in the refrigerator. This puts a stop to the practice of tap water to run cold before you fill your glass for drinking.
10. Conserve water when preparing food
You can collect water when rinsing off fruits and vegetables in the sink. This helps you to stop a wasteful practice of letting it run down the drain. You can use the remainder of water to water houseplants.