Water is a precious resource, and we can all contribute to its protection.
In fact, with a little effort, one can very easily save litres of water per year. Here are a few tips.
In the Bathroom
If there is one room in the home where the occupants consume large amounts of water, it’s the bathroom. Nonetheless, conserving this “blue gold” every time you use the toilet, shower or bathtub doesn’t have to be complicated. For example:
- Take short showers. Don’t linger under the hot water, no matter how relaxing it is.
- Did you know that you can replace the showerhead with a low-flow model? This is an excellent way to save water!
- Even better: you can install a device that allows you to shut the shower off at the press of a button while you soap up!
- If you’re more a bath person, fill the tub with only the minimum amount of water you need to avoid consuming too much.
- Don’t needlessly leave the water running while you brush your teeth.
- You could equally install a low-flow toilet or a dual flush model that gives you the option of flushing with less water when you’ve only gone “number one.”
In the Kitchen
Adopting a few small habits can help you preserve water when washing the dishes. For example:
- Only operate the dishwasher with a full load.
- If you prefer to handwash, don’t leave the faucet running. Instead, fill a tub or the sink with water.
- Compost rather than use the food waste disposer which works by consuming a lot of water.
- Make sure the faucet isn’t leaking. One drip per second can add up to losing 10,000 litres of water a year. That’s huge!
Outdoors
Doing your part in the summer is just as straightforward. For example:
- Watering your plants and lawn during the hottest times of the day is very inefficient. You will lose 60% to evaporation if you do so in the middle of the afternoon! It is therefore strongly recommended that you only water early in the morning or late in the evening.
- Don’t use the hose to clean your laneway. Grab a broom instead!
- Again, fill a bucket with soapy water to wash your car or the outside of your windows rather than turning on the hose, which consumes a high amount of water.
- You can install a rain barrel or another type of large container to harvest rainwater.
- Always comply with your city’s bylaws regarding watering and the filling of pools during periods of drought and heat waves.
- When filling your pool, keep the water level at least 15 cm below the edge to avoid any spilling out while you swim or while your kids play in the pool. You should likewise inspect its walls for any cracks or tears through which water could be leaking out. Carrying out repairs will help you conserve large amounts of water.
As you can see, changing your everyday habits in order to save many litres of water a year isn’t difficult. You too can play your part to preserve this vital resource. And if you can’t implement each one of these tips, keep in mind that adopting even just a few can still make a significant difference.