Did you know that 40 out of 50 states in the US expect water shortage? Want to your bit to ensure there’s plenty for your fellow citizens? Here are few easy hacks to help you conserve water in your daily life.
One of those most important issues, which only seems to hit the world harder each year is WATER CRISIS.
And perhaps, the most recent story of Cape Town and South Africa is not hidden from anyone. The situation is now such that due to the diminishing of water reservoirs, people have been asked to lower down their water usage by 13.2 gallons per day.
But do you think water shortage is just limited to Cape Town or Africa? Did you know that 40 out 50 states in the US expect to be short on water?
They say you can live without food even for a month but not more than 5 days without water.
From our daily showers to laundry to watering our lawns, we are using or I should say wasting a huge amount of water but do we care yet?
Better late than never. It’s not too late yet, just a few helpful tips regarding water conservation and we can bring an amazing change. I am here with these wonderful and easy tips and it’s high time we start applying it right now lest it’s too late.
Reasons why you’ll agree with me
- You know it that water crisis is actually a big problem.
- With a growing population, income grows and ultimately demand for water increases.
- Our water infrastructure is in a dilapidated state.
- Our healthy ecosystems are being ignored.
- And most importantly WATER IS WASTED.
Why there’s a need to conserve water?
Let us first learn about why we actually need to save water?
Reason 1: Water is equal to life and if you are unable to get fresh water for a long period of time, chances are you will die in just a few days. We generally ignore the situations where we see some different kind of pollutants in rivers, streams and other water sources.
And I am sure you may not want to drink water with motor oil sheen on the top or a fish with weed killer marinade is not at all healthy.
Reason 2: Using less water ultimately leads you to an extra saving. Try a few basic water conservation methods and trust me you can save thousands of gallons every year. Of course, using less water will offer with fewer water bills also.
Reason 3: Remember no God from the heaven is going to come and protect your natural eco-systems from future damages. For the local eco-systems, the oceans, streams, and lakes are their home but we are using it as a dumping ground snatching everything from those who depend on these water sources.
Reason 4: Saving water not only saves your bills but also energy. A certain amount of energy is required to pump water from a central facility to our homes. Thus, if you save water less energy will be required, which also lessens your carbon footprint.
Reason 5: We are seeing the rapid change in industrialization and urbanization where they use this potable water, which ultimately leads to scarcity of water and are creating a massive problem for us and for future generations as well.
But, as I said earlier it’s not too late. Read the following tips on how to save water in different fields, after you go through it, see what points you can actually apply in your daily lives. Start doing it right now and be a part of a better environmental change.
How to Conserve Water in the Kitchen
Before I start with ‘what you should do to save water in the kitchen’, did you know that our body is about 75% of water and every single person require around 80 ounces of water every day?
Strange right, so if you really want to make this happen for coming years in your life. Follow these tips given below.
Load your dishwasher to its full capacity
Just like you do with your washing machine, fill your dishwasher with water before running in order to save water.
In case of no dishwasher, you can wash the dishes in a sink or pan full of water instead of washing under a running tap.
Throw big pieces of food waste in the trash. If your dishes always need pre-rinsing, be sure that your dishwasher is in good repair and also you are loading correctly. Also, you should have a powerful dishwasher bar.
Use your garbage disposal sparingly
You must have seen that garbage disposals need a lot of water so as to get rid of garbage. Avoid doing it. You can either dump it in the trash or one of the best methods is to have a homemade compost bin.
Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator
Yes, it is quite easier to soak your frozen in water, no need to do it as it’ll only waste the water. Rather than, decide which food you’ll need the next day and keep it in the fridge overnight.
Rinse foods in a full sink of water
While cleaning fruits or vegetables, try to get a tub or pan full of water to do the same. This will use less water and you can also this water to water plants.
Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the fridge
Keep a water bottle or pitcher in the fridge instead of running the faucet to make the water cold. Now, no long wait for the cold water and no wastage of water.
How to Conserve Water in the Bathroom
Did you know that approximately 37 gallons of water are used for an average bath, which means a 5-minute shower uses 15-25 gallons while 40 gallons are used in just 10 minutes?
We generally become careless while taking our regular baths because we just want live that moment. You need to stop such things ASAP and these tips can actually help you out.
Check faucets, toilets, and pipes for leaks:
Make sure you regularly check your plumbing for leaks as unknown leaks can waste up to 3,000 gallons per year.
In case you find any leak, first, try to fix it. If there’s some serious leak, you may need to call a plumber.
If you are not sure if your toilet is actually leaking or not, add some food coloring or dye tablets in the tank and leave it for 10-15 minutes without flushing. After the desired time, if you see any food coloring in the toilet, you have a leak.
Turn the faucet off while brushing or shaving
Turn off the tap while brushing when it is not needed rather than letting the water to run whole time you are brushing your teeth. You can turn off the tap in between rinsing the razor while shaving.
Install water-saving shower heads
You’ll always find different types of shower heads in the market. One using 2.5 gallons per minute and others using around 5 gallons.
Installing a water-saving shower head can apply a minimal pressure while using half the amount of water as conventional units. These shower heads can cost you from $10-$30, depending on the quality.
Another great alternative is to install a valve behind the shower head so that you can turn off the water while soaping and then turn it on while maintaining the same temperature.
Take shorter showers
Try to take your shower in a short interval of time. You may not know this but with every two minutes, you are using 10 gallons of water.
Bathing takes to use up around one-third of the amount of water according to the size of your bathtub and depth of the water. So try taking shorter showers.
Convert to a low-flush or dual-flush toilet
Having low-flush toilets utilizes 1.6 gallons per flush and the normal toilets use 3 to 4 times more than that.
On the other hand, dual-flush toilets use less water for liquid waste and more water for solid waste, you just need to press the correct button.
How to Conserve Water in the Yard or Garden
I would like to share an amazing fact, see if it can help you while watering your lawns or garden.
Try to water them in the early morning or in the evening because at that time temperatures and wind speed are the lowest, otherwise, there’s an excessive evaporation.
Now, let’s see some other tips you can try.
Install a water meter
Installing a water meter comes with a very big advantage, this will tell you how much water you are actually using. Also, it tells you how much amount of water you need to cut down in your daily routine.
Use smart watering tactics for Plants
You can easily keep your plants and grass healthy while conserving water. Just go through these helpful tips.
Early morning and evening is the best time to water your plants and grass as it’ll reduce evaporation. Avoid watering on cold, rainy and windy days.
Always try to water your garden with a watering can or you can use a trigger nozzle on the garden hose, which further saves more water.
A rainwater collection system is another useful source to collect water and further use it to water your plants, lawn or garden.
Maintain your sprinklers and irrigation timer
Irrigation timers need to be monitored timely. In case of broken sprinkler heads and pipes, they should be fixed immediately and also see that the spray patterns should be aimed where they are meant to be.
Drip irrigation system is yet another useful method to save water. Adjust the sprinklers in such a way that they only reach the areas where water is needed instead of the sidewalk.
Make the most of Mulch
Make a layer of mulch around trees and plants, which prevents water from evaporating and keep the soil healthy as well.
Make sure you have an organic mulch, which helps in enhancing the quality of your soil as it breaks down. Wood chips and bark are the two most common and best types of mulch.
Use a bucket to wash the car
Using a bucket full of water rather than a garden hose can eliminate the use of extra water.
You can wash your car in the lawn so that the water and the same water will help to water the grass at the same time.
And to apply the above point, try using some eco-friendly cleansers so that you can easily reuse it.
Cover your swimming pools
If you have a pool, make sure you cover it during the warmer months as it will reduce evaporation.
In fact, in some places, you cannot even follow the emptying then refiling process, in order to preserve this important water resource.
How to Conserve Water While Doing Laundry
Get a water efficient washer
Your traditional washing machines use 40-45 gallons of water per load, but high-efficiency top-load or front-load washers use much less water and get your clothes cleaner as well.
Make sure you are washing a full load of laundry
Try not to wash a few clothes in the washing machine, let there be a pile of clothes so that your water is not wasted at all.
Also, most of the top load washing machines come with an economy mode, which helps in saving water and electricity as well.
Use cold water
Heating up water uses energy, so try washing your clothes in cold water, which will ultimately save water and energy as well.
Keep laundry count to a minimum
Items like jeans and sweaters are meant to be washed regularly or every time you wear them. Make sure to wash the clothes which are actually very dirty and need to be washed. Doing this will save a lot of water and also prevents wear and tear on your clothes.
You can easily use or wear a pajama for 2-3 times before you wash it. Changing your socks and underwear on a daily basis is necessary but slacks, jeans, and skirts can be worn more than one time.
After your daily shower, make sure you hang the towels on the rack to air dry and you can use it a number of times before washing.
Few Other Water Saving Hacks
We are living in this modern world where water scarcity is really a big issue and if we continue to overlook the use of water, I am afraid about the evil consequences that might take place in future.
But if you seriously want to stop such things, here are some ways which can help you in water prevention.
Sustainable Water Usage
There are joined activities involved in the sustainable water supply and it depends on a person’s ability to save water, land occupation, changes in the building industry, administrative regulations and so on.
The main aim is to make components of direction and to make it affordable that too guarantee the sustainability of the system.
Doing this helps in recycling of water, lessens the domestic water consumption and helps improving irrigation method.
Boost natural regeneration of vegetation
Regeneration means re-establishment of forest crop by some natural or artificial means. If you use crops by sowing, planting or be it using some artificial method, it can overcome the water scarcity issue very well.
This method of regeneration is an amazing process by which the land can be colonized again when the vegetation is somehow completely destroyed ruined.
Maintain and improve quality of water
Quality of water here means how people all around use the water for different purposes like drinking, bathing or for some business use.
Other than this the water can be used by various groups for wildlife habitats, production of edible fish, protection of aquatic ecosystems, and many more.
Following the same will surely help in pollution check and collection and treatment of wastewater effluents.
Rainwater Harvesting
In simple words, rainwater harvesting means to store the water and use it later for other purposes.
The quirky units of the system help to store the rainwater, filtering it and storing the processed water. The method is quite beneficial in the home to store extra water.
How to set up an Off-Grid Rainwater Harvesting system at home
Raising awareness
No single authority or government official alone can bring a change, we the people of the society have to come together in order to conserve water.
Try to save water as much as possible, at least for the sake of your coming generations and if not at least think about the world we are living in. Bringing awareness is quite simple but applying in our daily lives becomes hard.
But the easiest solution to overcome such problem is: start helping yourself or I should say bring a change in your home and see the difference.
Final word
You must be wondering or thinking, can these small steps really make a difference? Yes, and this is actually the truth that if you come up with these small changes and start applying in your home you can save a few gallons each day.
You might want to ask why ‘I’ should invest my time or money in consumption of water. Because, the more people come forward in the initiative, the greater impact it will make.
