We tend to believe that water flows in abundance and, in our homes, we generally use more than necessary given the seemingly endless supply. However, with drought affecting many communities globally and water pollution on the rise, more communities are installing water meters to charge residents for their water consumption. In the following article we will cover strategies for keeping your water consumption down.
Water is one of those elements that can easily contribute to the greening of your home. There are some very simple ways that can you cut down on the amount of water that you use. Among the easier ways to lower your water consumption are:
– Don’t let water run when brushing your teeth or soaping up your hands
– Wash vegetables in a bowl, then use the water for your houseplants
– Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge to cool – it eliminates having to run the water to get it cold
– Only do laundry or run the dishwasher when you have a full load
– Don’t flush tissues down the toilet – either compost them or throw them away
If you are more serious about water conservation, then here is a list of things you can change around your home:
– Install low-flush toilets
– Install optimized-flow shower heads
– Install a tankless hot water heater
– Install flow restrictors on all taps
Doing a little maintenance is also necessary to make sure that the water in your home is being used efficiently.
– Change old washers in your taps to prevent leaks
– Protect pipes from freezing in cold weather – it might require adding insulation to exterior walls
– Fix any leaks that you currently have
For those of you who are interested in doing even more to save water, here are some more advanced ideas.
– Collect rainwater to use in watering the garden and washing cars/patio furniture
– Install a water treatment system to reuse wastewater for non-potable applications
There are many things we can do to green up our homes – cutting down on our water consumption is one of the easiest.
