25 Ways to Conserve Water At Home

Ah – water! One of the Earth's most precious resources! With the increase of population and more areas struggling with drought & conservation efforts, making a conscious decision to cut back on water usage means a lower utility bill, a better environment, & a continued effort to keep water drinkable and affordable for all humans & animals on our Earth.

We’ve gathered some ways to help conserve water at home. We recommend picking a few to start out with, and gradually adding more to your conservation list! Deciding on just a few small challenges can make an impact on water usage, reducing hundreds of gallons of water each year.

1. Switch to a low-flow shower head. Switching your shower head to a low-flow can save you around 15 gallons of water during a ten minute shower. An 8 minute shower with a low-flow shower head uses about 12 gallons of water; 1.5 gallons per minute, versus 24-64 gallons with other shower heads.

2. Turn off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth or shaving. Running a faucet flows about 2.2 gallons of water per minute. Turn off your faucet after you wet your toothbrush or razor, and leave it off until it’s time for your rinse.

3. Turn off the faucet while you’re washing your hands. Use a squirt of soap, lather, and turn on the faucet to rinse. If you wash your hands for 15 seconds, 7 times a day, you’re using about 7.7 gallons of water. Use water only after you’re done with your lather and ready for your rinse!

4. Upgrade to water conserving models of dishwashers and washing machines. There are energy & water conservation machines available that help to conserve water while they’re cleaning for you! This might be a bit pricey at first, but your utility bills WILL go down, and you will be helping the planet big time!

5. Run the dishwasher or washing machine only when it’s full. Doing half loads, or small laundry loads add up to gallons of wasted water. Adjust washer machine setting if you must do a small load.

6. Don’t have a dishwasher? Fill your sink up with warm soapy water instead of letting the faucet run the whole time that you are scrubbing. Scrap foods in your compost bin to decrease the amount of times you may need to change the water.

7. Create a rain catcher. Harvesting rain water is a fantastic way to keep your plants hydrated without using your hose or sprinklers.

8. Water plants early in the morning. It’s cooler in the mornings, which translates to using less water. The cooler the temperature, the less the water will evaporate.

9. Fix your leaks! Fixing leaky faucets or running toilets can save gallons and gallons of water and hundreds of dollars per year.

10. Frugal Flusher. Be a frugal flusher – if it’s yellow, let it mellow. Flushing your toilet just 5 times a day with a conventional toilet uses about 3.5-5 gallons per flush; if flushed 5 times a day, this equates to 17.5-25 gallons used! If you install a high-efficiency toilet, 5 flushes equates to only 6.4 gallons used.

11. Take shorter showers. An easy way to cut down on water is to turn off the shower while soaping up and turning it back on to rinse. An 8 minute shower uses anywhere between 12-64 gallons of water depending on what type of shower head you are using. *cough cough* see number 1 *cough cough*

12. Plant drought-resistant lawns & plants. They have drought-resistant grasses, as well as artificial grasses that are a great option for decreases your utility bill and the amount of water you use. Plant succulents and native plants to your area. It’s also smart to group plants together according to their watering needs – that way, you do not over water.

13. Position your sprinklers. We’ve all walked by that one house or park where we get nailed with water from the sprinklers! Cement doesn’t grow taller with water. Position your sprinklers to water the things that need water to grow, yaknow, like your plants. It’s smart to check this positioning often, as sometimes external factors such as children or animals can move these out of place.

14. Check for leaks. Checking leaks both inside and outside can dramatically save a lot of water, as well as money. If you’ve experienced a huge spike in your water bill, call a plumber and have them check your water lines for you.

15. Use a shower bucket. While waiting for your hot water, plentiful water gets drained from the shower. Get a bucket or pail and stick it under the faucet until it’s your preferred temperature. You can use this water for watering plants, flushing the toilet, in your tea kettle, etc.

16. Use a car wash that recycles water. If you wash your car at home, don't leave the hose on; use buckets instead or install a hose nozzle 

17. Wash fruits & vegetables in a pan or pot of water instead of letting the water run from the faucet. 

18. Install gutters and downspouts. You can re-direct rain water runoff to trees & plants essentially addressing two water issues at once!; Watering your plants, and upcycling rain water! 

19. Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Garbage disposals use a lot of water. Compost vegetable food waste instead, and save gallons of water while reducing food waste. 

20. Keep a pitcher or water bottle of drinking water in the fridge. While waiting for the tap water to get cold for a fresh drink of water, collect the water in a pitcher or water bottle so it's not running down the drain instead, this way, you have fresh cold drinking water while helping reduce water waste!

21. Throw leftover ice cubes or ice chunks on a plant that needs watering. 

22. Soak pots & pans. Soak pots and pans with water instead of scraping and cleaning the food off while the water is running. Quick cleaning tip: Soak with water, add a few drops of dish soap, and put onto the stove with low heat; this will help clean stuck on food and debris easier with less water waste. 

23. Don't use running water to de-thaw frozen foods! For both food safety and water conservation, defrost food in the refrigerator. 

24. Ever have cups of water laying around your house from guests, your kids, or significant others? Instead of throwing this water down the drain, pour in a tea kettle to boil and make tea or use it to water plants. 

25. Reuse your towels. When at home, or at a hotel, reuse your bath towels. Let them dry properly. Wash after every 4th or 5th use. Towels don't need to be washed every time they're used, you're already clean when you come out of the shower!

Some other articles you might enjoy:

Creating An Ecofriendly Work Place

Eliminating Food Waste

Why Are You Still Using Plastic In Your Kitchen?

Sources used:

Avonlakewater.org

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