Top Ten Water Saving Tips
We are dealing with our current financial crisis after it became a crisis. This reactionary style is very “American”. Therefore, I propose we do something “un-American” and attack the looming water crisis with more of a preventative strategy. In fact, that is our only option. It’s not like we have a choice to be reactionary in this potential crisis. We can’t borrow water like we can money.
Waiting for this issue to officially hit home will be too late. Our dehydrated brains will wonder (with increasing difficulty–because our brains are over 80% water) “how could we have prevented this?”
Here’s how.
Top Ten Daily Water Saving Tips
1. Showering–Shower with someone. Keep showers under 4 minutes. Purchase a low-flow showerhead.
2. Grooming–Turn off the water while you brush your teeth, shave, and while you lather up when washing your hands. Also, make sure there are aerators on all of your faucets.
3. Toilet–If it’s yellow let it mellow. When you need to replace a toilet purchase a low-volume or dual flush toilet.
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4. Laundry–Only use when you have a full load.
5. Dishwashing–Only use when you have a full load. If you wash by hand (better choice) don’t let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.
6. Compost–Composting eliminates the need for a garbage disposal (water waster) and adds water-holding organic matter to the soil.
7. Outside–Plant native and drought tolerant plants. Only water your lawn when needed (you can tell when by walking across your lawn–if you leave footprints, it’s time to water).
8. Catching it–While waiting for the water in your shower or sink to get hot, use a large cup (sink) or bucket (shower) to catch the water. Also, install a rain barrel to collect rainwater from your gutters. Use the collected water to water your plants and/or wash your car.
9. Fixing it–Fix leaky faucets and toilets!
10. Teaching it–Make suggestions to your employer to conserve water at work. Encourage your city and local schools to develop and promote water conservation among children and adults. Share this article with family and friends (and enemies too–we all use the same water)!
Most of you may have realized I slipped more than 20 water saving tips in here.
Hey, it’s that important…and I’m that sneaky.
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Image credit: Wikimedia Commons–Jose Manual Suarez
When I use water in activities where it goes down the drain, what happens to it next? I was always under the mistaken impression it was recycled and then pushed back into supply. So why does it matter if I let water run straight into a drain or not?
These low flow aerators are great, instead of spending 1 minute of my time washing my hands, it now takes 5 minutes to do the job! Yep these aerator water savers and low flow shower heads should greatly help me waste hours of my life struggling to get the soap off!!!!! Congratulations for finding yet one more way for me to get less done!
Navy Showers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_shower
Been doing it for a couple weeks. It’s great. Barely use any water. Makes me realize what a waste the other way is.
Home use is a drop in the bucket compared to agricultural and industrial use. Of course, the real problem is pollution in the ecosphere. Ultimately we will have to treat all our water and find a way to keep pollutants and particulate matter under control by transforming it into nontoxic products.
The unfortunate wild goose chase of global warming is keeping us from addressing the real problems we and our descendants will face.
Actually washing dishes by hand has been proven to be more wasteful of water than a dishwasher.
http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=116026922858324800
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/08/dishwasher_vs_h.php
I agree that using a dishwasher typically uses less water than hand washing.
DON’T let it mellow… Unless you are the only one who uses that toilet. People don’t like to have other peoples piss stinking up the place.
You forgot the most important tip of all : Have less kids.
2 kids max = 0 growth.
I’m a big fan of composting (not so easy when you live in an apartment).
I’d like to point out one fallacy in the item on dish washing. The instruction to “Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water” is going to be a less efficient use of water than using a dishwasher 99% of the time.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/08/dishwasher_vs_h.php
Just make sure to use an environmentally friendly dishwasher-safe soap.
If I do wash dishes by hand, the most I will fill with water is a pot, but usually no more than a drinking glass.
If you wash your dishes (and silverware) as soon as you’re done using them, you shouldn’t have to use more than to rinse the plate off. If there’s still remnants on a plate, scrub it off with a sponge or scrubber, then rinse again.
I guarantee my hand-washing procedure would use no more than 1/2 the water that the author of this article would use.
Quit watering your lawn! I wanna beat old people when they obsessively water their lawns or use sprinkler systems one day after it just rained.
Grass has survived for millions of years without human intervention, take the hint from god.