Water conservation can be an important way to reduce your footprint, or ecological impact, on the planet. While you may have heard of a couple of simple tips and tricks such as turning off the water while you brush your teeth, it turns out that some of the best ways to save on water can be to take advantage of the items you use in your home. Here are five things to consider.
1. Pipes and Faucets
Pipes and faucets can be directly related to your water use. It is important to keep them leak-free and in good working order for obvious reasons, but the type of faucets you choose can also have a surprising effect on your water use. Choosing faucets for your sink that give you a lot of control over the water flow can help you conserve by allowing you to use small amounts of liquid at a time, reducing the amount that ends up down the drain.
2. Water Pitcher
Running the tap until the water is cold enough to drink means a lot of wasted liquid ends up washing down your sink. A simple fix for this can be to use a water pitcher or similar container to store cold water in your refrigerator. Not only will having a pitcher give you the opportunity to pour a deliciously cold glass of water at your convenience, but it will reduce your impact as well. You should find there are many different types of containers that can work well for this purpose and you should easily be able to get one that fits in your refrigerator.
3. Bucket
It may seem silly, but a simple plastic bucket can be a great tool to use in order to be a little more environmentally friendly. Leaving a bucket out in your yard to catch rainwater can give you a great supply of liquid to use to water your garden plants or the shrubs around your house. Taking advantage of water that otherwise would’ve gone to waste is a great way to conserve. If you don’t have a lot of plants outside that need watering, you can also use the rainwater for houseplants.
4. Appliances
Not the cheapest solution to water consumption but something you can work on over time, appliances can be some of the biggest water wasters in your home. Almost all appliances, from your water heater to your refrigerator will likely be in need of a replacement or an upgrade at some point. When the time comes to get new equipment in your home, you should put in an effort to choose appliances that are water smart. This simple feature can greatly reduce the amount of water that goes to waste daily as you run machines such as the dishwasher and washing machine.
5. Shower Heads
You should choose a shower head that has slow water flow in order to cut back on the amount of liquid you consume while washing. While you may not love the idea of having less water from your shower head, it can be a worthwhile sacrifice since conserving water can be hugely important to the well-being of everyone. You can find lots of information on the importance of water conservation from the Cadiz Water Project. Simple fixes, such as more conservative shower heads should make a substantial difference and you should find that you barely notice any difference in your routine.
Water Conservation Made Simple
Making a positive change in order to be more eco-friendly can be as simple as adjusting a few of your household items to be more water smart. By making a few simple changes to the items you use and by choosing new appliances that conserve water you can make a difference without having to go to too much trouble.