Did you know that over 97% of earth’s water is salt water and only 2.5% of earth’s water is freshwater? Out of 2.5% of the freshwater, only 0.3% of water is in liquid form and remaining water is locked in ice caps and glaciers? Needless to say, water is one of the most precious and limited natural resources that has to be saved and preserved. Saving water and stopping polluting it has become more than important for all of us living on this earth. It’s our collective responsibility to do whatever we can to conserve and save water in our homes. By saving water at home, not only we’ll be able to conserve this precious and limited natural resource, but we’ll also be able to reduce the carbon footprint to an extent.
11 easy tips that can help save water at home
We all need fresh water to live and survive. In fact, we can live without food for many days, but can’t live without water for more than a few days. Unfortunately, the fresh liquid water is limited. And therefore, we should do everything we can to save water. We should find ways to reuse and conserve water as much as we can. And also stop polluting it.
Thankfully, saving water is not that difficult. All that we have to do is to know that saving water is important. And be aware and responsible enough while using water in our day to day life.
Here are a few of the easiest ways you can save water at home.
Avoid taking long shower and save gallons of water
According to a study, on an average over 15 gallons of fresh water is being wasted per long shower by many individuals. Imagine if they can cut long showers and take smaller showers instead. They would save that much water every time they take a bath. Some individuals have the habits of enjoying long showers and this habit can easily be changed. By shortening the shower time to around 5 minutes, one can easily save plenty of water every day.
Run washing machine and dishwasher on full load
Sometimes we run these home appliances on half load, instead of running them on their full capacity. But, when you run such appliances below their capacity, you end up wasting a lot of water and electricity. If you want to save on water and electricity bills, you should always run the dishwasher and washing machines to their full capacity.
Turn off the tap when not in use
Many times we leave the tap on while brushing our teeth. We also leave it open at the time of shaving or simply while washing hands. Ideally, you should switch on the tap, take water and switch it off. No point keeping it on while you are rubbing your hand to wash or you are brushing your teeth. There is no point in keeping the tap open as it results in lots of water wastage. By adopting these smaller habit of switching the tap off in between the jobs, you will be able to check water wastage and save gallons of water on a daily basis.
Use bucket to collect and reuse shower water
This is another easy way to save water at home. While taking shower, you can put an empty bucket behind to collect the water that would be wasted otherwise. This collected water can then be used for other work like gardening or washing your car. This may sound like a small step and may not make a lot of sense. But saving a bucket of water every time you take shower is a nice thing to do. If the same practice is followed by everyone in the family, you can imagine how much water can be saved every year.
Fix leakage to stop wastage and save water
Leakage in the bathroom, kitchen or in the water tank can result in a lot of wastage of water. Sometimes, we are so caught up with our busy schedule that we ignore such minor leakage. But you will be surprised to know that such leakage can cause severe water wastage at your house every month. And by getting such leakage identified and fixed, you can easily save gallons of water at your home.
Use water saving flush and faucets
There are many bathroom accessories that release a lot of water. By replacing such accessories with smart, efficient and water saving equipment, you can easily save water at your home. Water saving flush and faucets are not just the best way to save water, but it also helps save money by reducing your overall utility expenses every month.
Choose garden plants carefully
While home gardening is one of the most common passions, choosing the right kind of plants for your garden can help save plenty of water. There are certain varieties of plants that require a lot of water. By replacing these plants with the verities that do not require plenty of watering you will be able to save gallons of water every day.
Use water bins to collect water
The way you have a waste bin at home, you can have a water bin to collect water. All that you have to do is collect water that will be wasted otherwse. The way it works is pretty simple. You need to put a water bin (like a pet jar used in parties to dispense water). Collect fresh water that would be wasted otherwise in it for planting. For instance, every time there is half a glass of unfinished water, instead of pouring it down the waste pipe, collect it in the water bin. And then use it for home gardening and other purpose.
Collect rainwater in barrels to use it later
Rain water harvesting techniques have been used for a long time. But, did you know that rainwater can be harvested directly using the rainwater barrels? Rainwater barrels are easily available in the market. And if you can’t find one you can use any other barrel or buckets. The collected rain water can be reused for gardening, to wash your car and in many other ways.
Reuse water used for rinsing
While rinsing fruits and vegetables, instead of letting the water go down the waste pipe, you can collect reuse it. This may seem like a little complicated task to follow, but trust me it’s not. I have seen people reuse water after rinsing for gardening. So, it’s all about trying and applying these tricks and reuse and save water easily.
Concluding water saving tips
Irrespective of the country and place we live in, water saving has to be our collective responsibility. Saving water at home is not difficult, because many times we end up wasting water unintentionally. All it takes is tweaking some of our habits and being mindful and creative to minimize the wastage of water.
We have already discussed some of the easiest ways we can save water. What else do you think one should do to save, preserve and conserve water at home?
Share your water saving hacks by commenting below.
