How to Conserve Water

As urbanized societies of the 21st century do we even know how to conserve water?

We have been spoiled with the luxury of sewage and storm water systems in our modern times, so much that we treat them more as a given rather than as a privilege. We don’t realize the water wastage linked to these systems and how we can literally reduce this by virtue of what we put down them. Our attitude is such that we take water quality and quantity and the disposal of our wastes for granted, due to the skill of engineers responsible for maintaining these services has made us dependent that we don’t know how to conserve water properly.

With the world’s increasing population, our consumerist society, air pollution, deforestation and our poor use of land and resources, our climate is being effected through global warming which we are witnessing in the increasing severity of droughts, floods and natural disasters.

With all of this placing an increasing strain on our manmade infrastructure, the time has come for a review of how to conserve water use and how we dispose of our waste.

This is a huge dilemma that impacts everyone the world over, however there are modifications that we can make to our homes that can save government and local council from having to undertake further expense by building dams which only passes further costs onto the consumer in the form of increased rates and taxes.

So what can we do?

All of our main water is purified and treated in order to make it suitable for human consumption however only approximately 1% is used for this purpose resulting in around 99% going to waste down the drain. This is the water we use to wash our dishes, our clothes ourselves and our cars with.

Another wasteful practice is the rainwater collected from our roof being piped away to the storm water system which only ends up in our surrounding oceans. Living in urban areas we make little use of this valuable resource and rather than to go to extra expense to purify more water we should conserve the water we already have.

In terms of sustainability with this precious resource, time remains a critical factor for its preservation.

As individuals we can all do our collective part, here are a few ways on how to conserve water:

1. Reduce the usage of the main drinkable water supply for cleaning purposes.

2. Each home to find ways to collect and use rainwater efficiently.

3. Each home to find and implement ways of re-using some or all of its grey water.

How you can start to conserve your water usage especially during the summer months is to reduce the amount of drinkable water you use for gardening. Did you know that gardening and car washing are the two most wasteful pure water using activities?, not to mention that these are luxuries. Why not opt to use grey water instead?, this is the water collected from the sink run off and from your washing machine.

Toilets, baths and showers are the most water consumptive practices indoors, however with a little self discipline we can greatly reduce the amount that goes down the drain with a little forethought and consideration.

How to conserve water by using more efficient versions of our current plumbing such as water efficient showerheads, clothes washers, dishwashers and garden irrigation systems.

Unless you plan on purchasing a more environmentally friendly appliance you shouldn’t throw away your current one just because it’s a slightly older model making this counterproductive when you take into consideration the resources and energy required to create the product in the first place. You can however use your current model more wisely by washing more with cold water, washing full loads and by collecting the grey water runoff for recycle.

These are just a few ways on how to conserve water, doing your part can see this precious resource last for generations to come.

Just like the Earth itself, we human beings are composed primarily of water. Water is essential to all life; you can live for weeks without food, but only days with no water. Conserving this precious resource is a duty which all of us must share. If all of us made an effort to conserve water, each person could save thousands of gallons of water every year.

Even though so much of the Earth’s surface is water, very little of the world’s water is fresh water which is drinkable to humans – and of the fresh water, only about a third of it is available to us.

As you know, most of the water on Earth is found in the oceans and is salt water. We can’t drink this, obviously. Only a little of the fresh water available to us is actually consumed by humans – the vast majority of this water is instead used to irrigate crops, for sanitation and to produce energy.

As the population of the world continues to increase, the available supplies of fresh water are diminished. In the last century alone, water consumption has increased by leaps and bounds 0 this led the UN to declare 2003 “The International Year of Fresh Water” to draw attention to the dwindling amount of fresh water available for human consumption.

A failure to conserve water will eventually lead to a severe negative impact on the environment as well as the global economy. There are so many things which we use water for that a sustained water shortage would cripple human activity.

Conservation is all about the effective management of resources in order to avoid waste. Water, like any other natural resource must not be taken for granted.

Not only is conserving water good for the environment, it can also help your own bank account! You’ll be doing your part for the environment while lowering your water bill. You can and should install water and energy efficient appliances, low flow water fixtures and choose landscaping with a smaller water requirement (native plants are best) – this can save you hundreds of dollars (and thousands of gallons of water) every year.

Choosing a tankless water heater can reduce your household’s energy consumption by as much as 30% when compared to a conventional storage water heater. These are the kinds of simple things which we can all do to reduce water consumption. Remember, it’s everyone’s responsibility to conserve water, lest we find out that we don’t have enough left!

Many people believe that water is something that will always be available. That there is a never-ending supply in our world of water. However, the real truth is that this is not true. There are shortages in the water supply at every turn, you may not realize it, but the crisis concerning our water is real and alive.

Therefore, we should learn how to conserve water now, in order to prevent further shortages and affect our children and grandchildren later. The good news is that with just a few things, you can save water in your home, garden, and even harvest rainwater to really help in the conservation efforts.

The following are some helpful tips that will help you conserve your own water, which will help the environment and save you money together.

Leaky Faucets

Do you have faucets that drip or pipes that leak? If so, this is a very common example of water waste. Fix these items, even if you have to call a plumber. It will help in your water bill and conserve water at the same time.

Low Flows

When you invest in shower heads with a lower flow or toilets with a low flush level, you are working to conserve water. This will help you cut down the amount of water you are using every time you or your family showers, as well as the amount of water being used when the toilet is flushed.

Running Water

One thing that many of us do is leave the water running for no real reason. For example, if your washing dishes, many people leave the rinse water running while washing. Some people leave the water running while brushing their teeth. Shut the water off and turn it back on when you need it. This is something relatively simple, but makes a big impact.

Washing Dishes

When washing and rinsing your dishes, if you are doing them by hand, make sure that you do not use the water on full stream. Adjust the stream to the smallest that you can manage to get the job done, but minimize the waste of water at the same time.

If you have a dishwasher, make use of it. However, make sure that the dishwasher is energy efficient and that you are only doing full loads of dishes with each operation. If you cannot have a full load, adjust your machine accordingly.

Doing Laundry

We all have to do laundry, but be sure that you are using a washing machine that is energy efficient. However, you should also make sure that you are doing full loads, instead of smaller ones. Just by using an energy efficient washing machine, you can save as much as 40% water in your household.

Learning water conservation 101 is the first step in doing your part to create a brighter and better place for us to live.