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Gallons of unused precious water are being washed down every day into the drains. Water shortage is a looming crisis that has already affected half the world. There are many things one can do to conserve water. The focus among green consumers nowadays is Green Plumbing where the conservation effort starts from plumbing layouts and the design itself, offering maximum efficiency and minimum wastage of energy. With a little bit of time, effort and money, we can all make significant savings on our water usage. Below are some tips to get started.
Lowering water temperature on a daily basis will help save money by considerably decreasing the electricity bill. Check the temperature on the heater. It should not be over 50 degree Celsius. This also helps in decreasing the mineral build up and corrosion of your water heater and pipes, helping the heater last much longer. Tank-less, instantaneous heaters or solar heaters are viable options to your traditional ones. Insulate the heater if it does not have one already. This can reduce energy wastage by up to 9 percent. Tank-less heaters save energy by heating only the water that you need.
A major water saver, almost 28 gallons per day per person, the dual flush toilet gives you the option to choose the right amount of water. There are waterless urinals available that are odour-less while composting ones convert waste into fertilizers and manures.
An important yet often over-looked solution. Do not leave until later to fix those faulty pipes and leaky faucets. Unlike others, often the water wasted goes unnoticed. When the water bill shows abnormal usage, immediately make arrangements to check for faulty plumbing. You could also buy a leak monitoring device which will provide timely alerts when there is a leaky faucet, pipe, or toilet. Call a plumber immediately when a leak is found and have it stopped before too much water is wasted. Drop some food colouring in the toilet tank to detect leaks. If you see the colour in the toilet bowl when you haven’t flushed, the toilet is leaking.
You will not notice any difference in using these shower heads. The pressure will be same but the water used will be lower. Try taking 5-minute showers and not baths. And, of course, do not let the water run unnecessarily while having baths, brushing teeth, shaving, washing the vehicle, etc.
Do not buy bottled water any more. Eventually, all bottles end up in landfills. Buy a Brita and fill it with tap water. You can have water on the go or cool it in the fridge. In a Brita Pitcher filter, activated carbon and ion exchange resin work together to filter impurities and improve the taste of tap water.
Some other useful tips include perform a water usage assessment for your home and educate all family members on water saving methods and green technologies. An average family uses up to 400 gallons of water per day, therefore it is important to make a joint effort in implementing the above methods.
