Image courtesy of Creative Commons.
Water is a precious resource that we take for granted on a daily basis. Without water, we would not be able to grow the food we eat, to sustain ourselves or the ecosystem. Water consumption can be reduced in almost every part of our daily lives. With a few easy, painless tips, we will be on our way to living a life that is both sustainable for the environment and for ourselves.
-Only run the dishwasher (or washing machine) when it is full. Running it only half full can waste up to 1,000 gallons of water a month. Don’t have a dishwasher? Fill one sink up with soapy water for the dirty dishes, and the other sink with clean “rinse” water to wash away the soap. Never let the sink run when washing dishes because it wastes more water.
-After boiling a pot of pasta or vegetables, save the water in a container in the fridge for later use. This water can be used several times to boil pasta or vegetables. Once you are ready to discard the re-used boiled water, let it cook in the fridge and water your plants with it: it will be full of nutrients and none of the water from the cooking process will be wasted.
-The same goes for rinsing lettuce and other vegetables: rinse it in large container and re-used the water to water plants or even your grass outside.
-Before watering your lawn, check the weather forecast to avoid pre-watering your lawn before a storm. Also, adjust the sprinklers to get the maximum use:make sure they are aimed at the grass and no against the wall of your house, a fence or the road.
-Want cold drinking water fast? Fill a jug with water straight from the tap without letting any extra run, and store the jug in the fridge for later use: this way, you will always have cold drinking water without having to run the tap for cold water to come out, which is wasteful.
-When brushing your teeth or taking a shower, only let the water run during the rinse stage: turn off the water when brushing your teeth and shampooing.
Only flush the toilet when necessary: this means to not use the toilet as a garbage can: throw out tissues and insects in the trash (or even compost bin) to avoid wasting water. Every flush uses 6 liters of water, so it is best to minimize the amount of flushes used.
-Cut your shower time by 1 minute. It might not seem like much, a little goes a long way, which can save you up to 150 gallons of water a month.
-To clean your driveway, use a broom instead of a hose to save water.
-Collect rain water and water the plants with it.
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