It is estimated that the average person uses 80-100 gallons of water per day. That’s a lot of water, and interestingly enough, the highest usage source has been traced back to toilet flushing! We need water to survive, and when it gets hot and droughts arise, it is even more important to conserve water. After some thorough research, we’ve put together a list of tips that you can practice at home to help the planet while also helping your bank account!
- Check your faucets and pipes. If even a small leak is occurring, it can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day! Think about how much bigger leaks could waste.
- Don’t forget about your toilets! Sustainable living website www.eartheasy.com provides a test that you can easily do to check for leaks. Put some food coloring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately.
- Don’t use the toilet as a cigarette butt dispenser or wastebasket. Every time you flush, 5-7 gallons of water is wasted! You would be better off to just use a regular trash bin or other appropriate means.
- Insulate your pipes. This is a sure way to lower your utility bill! Hot water will be delivered faster, plus you won’t be wasting water while you wait for it to heat up.
- Minimize use of kitchen sink garbage garburators. These garbage disposal units require lots of water to operate correctly, while also adding pounds of solids to a septic tank which can lead to further problems. Start using a composting system as an alternate way of disposing of food waste.
- Take shorter showers. Instead of letting the shower run while you are soaping up, try shutting off the tap while you soap up, shampoo, and condition, etc. Only turn on the tap when you need to rinse. Voila, shorter showers without skimping on your routine.
- If you have a green thumb, try putting in a layer of mulch in your garden. Mulch slows evaporation of moisture and discourages weed growth! Adding bark mulch will increase the ability of the soil to retain moisture, and could eventually lead to you not having to do any extra watering, even during the hot weather months!
- Water your garden during the early parts of the day. Watering during the early morning reduces water loss due to evaporation. Early morning is also generally better than later evening since it helps prevent the growth of fungus.
- Don’t keep the hose running while washing your car. Use a pail of soapy water instead. According to eartheasy.com, this simple practice can save as much as 150 gallons when washing a car.
Water is a finite resource. Everyone should be more aware of these practices and make them part of their daily lives. Water conservation at home is one of the easiest measures to put in place, and does wonders for the planet. Try contacting your local plumber to see what other options there are for devices you can install in your home to help save even more water!
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