http://www.care2.com/greenliving/use-less-water.html
Conservation Nation: Use Less Water
Adapted from Water: Use Less, Save More by Jon Clift and Amanda Cuthbert (Chelsea Green, 2007).
Did you know that Americans use 127 percent more water than they did in 1950? Or that about 95 percent of the water we use goes down our drains? Given the severe drought conditions occurring in parts of the United States right now, it seems prudent to dive in and share some helpful water saving tips with you.
Although we appear to have plenty of rain in the United States, our water resources are under pressure. Quite simply we are consuming too much. Water also requires huge amounts of energy, both to treat it and pump it to our houses, so our thirst for water is damaging our planet in more ways than one.
The good news is that there are many simple things we can do at home and at work to reduce our consumption of water. Here are 10 of the 100 smart water-saving tips from Water: Use Less, Save More:
1. If you are making a hot drink, fill the kettle with only as much water as you need. You will save energy as well as water.
2. Garbage disposals use a considerable amount of water. Start composting and put vegetable scraps in your compost bin.
3. Use a bowl to wash vegetables or to wash and rinse plates.
4. Don’t keep the tap running when cleaning your teeth.
5. While waiting for shower water to run hot, collect the cold water and use it on your plants.
6. Have a five-minute shower instead of a bath and save 30 gallons of water.
7. Attach a hose to your washing machine outlet pipe. Collect the used water when the machine is discharging and use it to water the garden.
8. Use a rain barrel to collect the rainwater from your roof rather than using treated drinking water on your garden. (Read all about using rain barrels here.)
9. Make sure everyone in your home knows where the main water valve is and how to work it. Use it to turn the water off if you have a leak.
10. Keep the telephone number of a plumber handy for emergencies.
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22 comments
add your comment »There are so many ways we can conserve water if we only think. good info.
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"95 percent of the water we use goes down our drains..."
How depressing! I will definitely shorten the shower time and employ other methods I'm been lax about. Thank you!
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WE HAVE STARTED USING LESS WATER OVER A YEAR AGO. THE HAND WRITING IS ON THE WALL. IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL WE HAD WAS NOT ENOUGH TO BUILD UP THE SNOWPACK FROM WHICH WE DRAW WATER FROM.
WE ALSO SAVE WITH FLUSHES WHEN WE CAN.
VIOLET Y.
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i live in a drought area a mining town use rain water to water plants wash clothes and lots of over things but carnt drink the rain water
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I never leave taps running.
I only fill kettle to amount that I need.
I do not use hose pipes.
I save water in water butt for garden and emergencies.
I have two showers a week, and quick daily washes that use half a sink full of water.
I turn taps off when brushing my teeth.
When rinsing hair in sink, I put plug in and use one sink full of water, rather than keeping the tap running while rinsing my hair.
I do half loads in washing machines when I can.
I use washing up water two/three times by adding a little hot water to it, and it's in a bowl.
I wash my hair once a week, I think this is enough!
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I never leave taps running.
I always turn off taps while brushing my teeth.
I re-use washing up water, by adding a little hot water to it.
I collect water in a water butt for the garden and emergencies.
I have couple of showers a week and quick daily washes that use half a sink full of water.
I do not use hose pipes.
I only fill kettle to amount I need.
I only wash hair once a week, I think this is enough!
Anything other trick I can think of to save water, I will do!!!!!!
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In our home we use what is called a Navy shower. Get in, get wet, turn off the water, soap, shampoo, turn on the water and rinse. A little cold in winter but total water running time 1 and a half to 2 minutes - depending on whether or not you get shampoo in your eyes.
Using the start-up cold water from your shower to water plants is a good idea but if, like me, you don't have many plants you can just store the water in the bathroom in jugs and use it to augment your low flow toilet flush. Low flow doesn't always work the best. The problem with low flow toilets is that they are low flow. Sometimes you need a double or triple flush so end up not saving a lot. My husband is a water quality technologist and low flow causes a lot of problems in sewer flushing. Most sewer systems have big old pipes and were designed to use a lot of water to flush them out and keep them running freely. Also a lot of water is needed to make a septic system work properly. We save all our wasted running water to add to the toilet and have never had any problems.
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i wanted to buy a thing on sale in my local Oxfam called a water hippo. http://www.hippo-the-watersaver.co.uk/
but i asked a council workman about them and he said the cistern tanks in modern toilets don't use a lot of water. He said using it would not make the toilet flush well enough. What does everyone think?
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The best home water conservation product I've found is the Hot Water Lobster Instant Hot Water Valve! It's a recirculation system that uses my existing plumbing! It saves me a lot of time and water by not waiting for hot water! I installed the temperature adjustable recirculation valve under the sink farthest form my water heater and now I have instant hot water throughout my entire home. I’ve had it for almost 3 years and it still works perfectly!
It’s pump free so it creates no noise. The pumps I've had in the past have been noisy, not to mention I went through 2 of them in 3 years! The Hot Water Lobster is made in the U.S.A. and has a 10-year warranty! I installed it myself in 10 minutes! I bought it from their sit for only $179.95! I've saved that much already! Here's their site:
http://www.hotwaterlobster.com/
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The best home water conservation product I've found is the Hot Water Lobster Instant Hot Water Valve! It's a recirculation system that uses my existing plumbing! It saves me a lot of time and water by not waiting for hot water! I installed the temperature adjustable recirculation valve under the sink farthest form my water heater and now I have instant hot water throughout my entire home. I’ve had it for almost 3 years and it still works perfectly!
It’s pump free so it creates no noise. The pumps I've had in the past have been noisy, not to mention I went through 2 of them in 3 years! The Hot Water Lobster is made in the U.S.A. and has a 10-year warranty! I installed it myself in 10 minutes! I bought it from their sit for only $179.95! I've saved that much already! Here's their site:
http://www.hotwaterlobster.com/
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