Water is very important in our needs in our daily lives. Not just us person is in need of water but also, the other living things like animals, trees, insects, etc. Without water, we can't survive in this world and that is why it is one of the most important things as a living thing.
Nowadays, water is limited and we need to conserve it. According to Becky (2018), with more and more areas struggling with droughts, conserving water is more important than ever. Water covers 70% of the Earth, but only 1% is easily accessible to you. With water being such a necessary resource for life on Earth, reducing your water footprint is a great way to take action.
Water conservation can be simple, and it starts at home. Whether you're doing laundry, washing the dishes, brushing your teeth, or watering your plants, there are several strategies that will help you save water. Even if you're not living in a drought-stricken region, cutting back on water use also means a lower utility bill and helps conserve a precious resource. Here are the following simple ways to conserve water at home:
- Shower Bucket. Instead of letting the water pour down the drain, stick a bucket under the faucet while you wait for your shower water to heat up. You can use the water for flushing the toilet or watering your plants (Becky, 2018).
- Take shorter showers. If you don't want to use bucket during taking a bath, then take shorter showers. Take a timer or clock into the bathroom with you and challenge yourself to cut down your showering time, or play one song and try to finish your shower by the time the song is over. Cutting down your shower time by just two minutes can save 10 gallons (37.9 L) of water (Seaman, 2017). Taking a shower uses roughly one third of the amount of water used in taking a bath, depending on the size of your tub and depth of the water. So skip the bath and take a short shower instead.
- Check faucets, toilets, and pipes for leaks. Unknown leaks in your household can waste up to 3,000 gallons (11,000 L) of water a year. For this reason, be sure to check your plumbing for leaks, especially leaking toilets and faucets (Wikihow.com, 2018). If you find a leak, figure out the source of the leak and try to fix it. If it's serious, you may have to enlist the help of a plumber, and find out whether your homeowner's insurance or renter's insurance will cover any damage it has caused. If you're unsure about whether your toilet is leaking or not, put some food coloring in the tank and let it sit for 10-15 minutes without flushing. If you see food coloring in the toilet after the time has passed, you have a leak.
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. Water comes out of the average faucet at 2.5 gallons per minute. Don't let all that water goes down the drain while you brush! Turn off the faucet after you wet your brush, and leave it off until it's time to rinse (EdenProject.com, 2017).
- Turn the faucet off when shaving. Instead of letting the water run the entire time you're shaving, turn it off when it's not needed. When shaving, turn the water off in between rinsing the razor (Wikihow.com, 2018). If you shave in the shower, try turning the shower off while you shave instead of leaving the water running.
- When washing your hands, turn the faucet off. Do you need the water to run while you're scrubbing your hands? Save a few gallons of water and turn the faucet off after you wet your hands until you need to rinse (Karina et. al, 2018).
- Don't use the toilet as a wastebasket. Every time you flush a cigarette butt, facial tissue or other small bit of trash, five to seven gallons of water is wasted. Not only can flushing trash down your toilet cause plumbing and water quality issues, but it uses several gallons of water each time. Throw your facial wipes, medication, and any other trash away in a trash can to prevent unnecessary waste (Seaman, 2017).
- Purchase water-efficient products and appliances for your home. This includes dishwashers, sink systems, bathtubs and more. These products pay for themselves in no time at all (Conserve-energy-future.com, 2017). For example: Replace your washing machine with a high-efficiency washer. Old-style top-loading washers use 40 to 45 gallons (150 to 170 L) per load, but you can cut that in half by using high-efficiency top-loading washers or front-loaders. Not only do these machines use much less water, but they also get your clothes cleaner (Wikihow.com, 2018). Front-loaders use much less water and energy than top-loaders, so do some research beforehand to pick out which washing machine you think would be best.
- Use the washing machine fully-loaded, not half full. Don't just throw some socks and two shirts in the washing machine - put a full load of laundry in so that you'll be sure to not waste water (Karina et. al, 2017). While you want the washing machine to be full, don't overload it. If you put too many clothes in there you'll strain the machine and your clothes won't get as clean. When washing your clothes, use the economy mode - this will save you both water and electricity.
- Do less laundry. Many items of clothing, such as jeans and sweaters, don't need to be washed every time you wear them. Try to be aware of which items of clothing are truly dirty and which could be worn again. This will not only save water, but will save wear and tear on your clothes (Wikihow.com, 2018). It's normal to wear pajamas two or three times before having to wash them, especially if you shower before going to bed. Do change socks and underwear daily, but wear slacks, jeans, and skirts more than once between washings. When wearing a sweatshirt or sweater over another shirt, you only need to wash the innermost layer regularly.
- Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator. While it may be faster to soak your frozen food in water, this isn't necessary and wastes water. Try planning ahead and putting the food you want thawed in the fridge overnight (Wikihow.com, 2018).
- Use smart watering tactics on your yard and plants. There's a way to keep your grass and plants healthy while also conserving water. Water areas that truly need it, and only when there hasn't been enough rain. Minimize the amount of time spent watering the lawn. Ensure that you are watering it only when needed (Conserve-energy-future.com, 2017). The best time of day to do your watering is in the morning or evening so that the water doesn't immediately evaporate, and don't water on cool, rainy, or windy days. Water your garden with a watering can or use a trigger nozzle on your hose to prevent extra water usage. You can build a rainwater collection system to watch the rain and use it for watering your plants, lawn or garden. Check your local water rules first to make sure it's allowed. Water deeply but less often. This will encourage plants to grow deeper roots, so that they need water less frequently.
- Use a bucket as opposed to a hose to wash your car or vehicle. While a little bit more work, using a bucket instead of a hose to wash your car will cut down on water use (Wikihow.com, 2018). Many commercial car washes may use less water than you use at home and many of them have water recycling systems to collect and filter used water. Use environmental-friendly cleansers. This will enable you to reuse waste water from washing to water the lawn or garden.
