Are you living in an urban setting and always wonder how you can utilize the already available limited water? Well, you’ll agree with us that the current urban environment is totally different from what we had a decade ago. Consequently, there is great pressure in resources and service delivery, especially with the ever surging urban population. One of the services is likely to be compromised when a city contains more people than it was initially intended for is sanitation. Accessing clean tap water can be challenging, making most urban families resort to borehole water. In that sense, it also helps if a water filter that removes fluoride is installed in each home to reduce the risk of water contamination. Moreover, water filter systems can fit in any water source, be it community-piped water.
Back to conservation, water is precious, and its conservation should be a priority in every home. What many people don’t k know is that the simplest change of routine can save thousands of liters per year. If other 1000 homes also adapt to a water-conservation routine, more than 1,000,000 liters of water will be saved annually.
What urban water conservation tips should you adopt in your home? Well they include but aren’t limited to the following:
Bathroom
More water is likely wasted in the bathroom than anywhere else. There are various methods that you can apply to conserve water without necessarily causing any inconvenience. For instance, using water displacement devices such as toilet dams will reduce the volume of water needed in the tank reservoir but still ensure that enough remains for flushing. It would be best if you also did toilet leak tests regularly to ensure that no single drop goes to waste.
As for the shower, it will help if you encouraged light showers practice amongst all family members, especially when there is limited activity, like during the weekends. You should also install a low-flow showerhead with a flow of about 2.5 gallons per minute.
Kitchen
Do you know that small water savings in the kitchen can add up with time? For instance, having a small container of drinking water in the fridge instead of running tap water until it’s cool can save up to one liter of water per person! Other mindful practices, such as using the right amount of water when cooking and preparing coffee, can also add up to save you gallons of water. Ice cubes should also be used as intended instead of letting them melt anyhow on the sink or the coffee table. The best thing about such practices is that they also help save on water bills.
Laundry
Water conservation, when it comes to laundry, is more likely the same as that of dishes. It would help if you only run a dishwasher or a washing machine when there is a full load.
That way, you’ll consume less than fifty gallons per load. It will also be great if you considered taking your clothes to professional laundry once in a while and conserve home water. Professional laundries can be cheaper in the long run, especially when the cloth pile is bigger.
Outdoors
Many people waste a lot of water when it comes to outdoor activities. For instance, healthy watering practices should be adhered to. Lawns and flowers should only be watered early in the mornings and evenings to reduce water loss through evaporation. When watering, it is also advisable to use a large sprinkler instead of a container.
For shrubs and trees, you can also consider mulching and drip irrigation. In fact, besides conserving water, mulching is also beneficial as it adds nutrients to the soil. Mulching also suffocates weeds and grass that can inhibit that flower bed from flourishing.
It would help if you also considered using recycled water or harvested rainwater for watering plants or washing machinery. If you love washing your car from home, please do so with a bucket of soapy water and rinse with a hosepipe.
Water bills
Lastly, you should also keep track of your water bill, especially if it is paid through check-off systems. That way, you’ll become conscious of the amount of water used when the bill is higher than usual. At times we end up spending more even without realizing. Other than that, it will also help if everyone in your household is sensitized on the importance of water conservation. Let us turn our taps off when not in use!
