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Water Conservation Strategies for Eco-Conscious Homeowners
Water Conservation Strategies for Eco-Conscious Homeowners
Water is one of our most important resources. It's directly necessary for human life, it's important for hygiene, and of course, we also need it to grow food and for countless industrial applications. Unfortunately, clean drinking water is a somewhat finite resource. While it's possible to process wastewater and even desalinate ocean water, these processes are energy-intensive and expensive. Accordingly, millions of environmentally conscious homeowners are looking for ways to conserve water in their everyday lives. Even if you're not interested in protecting the environment, you may be interested in lowering your water bill. So what are the most important and valuable water conservation strategies for eco-conscious homeowners to incorporate?
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Water Conservation Strategies for Eco-Conscious Homeowners
Invest in a Bidet
While it might seem counterintuitive, buying a bidet can help you conserve water overall. A bidet does indeed use a small amount of water to help you clean your underside. But this amount of water is practically negligible if you're using the device responsibly. More importantly, using a bidet means you're going to use far less toilet paper if you use any at all. Toilet paper comes from trees and demands an absurd amount of water – so if you can greatly reduce or eliminate your toilet paper consumption, you'll be doing the world a great favor.
Upgrade Your Appliances
It's also a good idea to upgrade your appliances, especially if they're more than a decade or two old. As we've become more technologically advanced and more knowledgeable in the engineering realm, our appliances have become much more efficient. They use far less water and far less electricity than they did in the past. Upgrading your washer, dishwasher, refrigerator, and other water-dependent appliances could help you save many gallons of water per week – and even more electricity.
Use Your Dishwasher
Even if you’re stuck with a relatively old dishwasher, it probably still uses less water than washing dishes by hand. There are many reasons for this, including the fact that many of us keep the water running throughout our entire course of washing dishes and the fact that dishwashers are designed to use water as efficiently as possible. If you've been reluctant to use your dishwasher because you see it as a water and energy hog, it's time to reconsider – and start using your dishwasher even for relatively small loads.
Time Your Showers
Many of us enjoy showers – especially hot showers on cold days and after exhausting activities. Don't feel like you have to cut your enjoyment painfully short, but do consider timing your showers so you can keep them reasonably timed and potentially save some water in the process. If you wash yourself efficiently, you should be able to complete a shower in five minutes or less. And if you want extra time to enjoy yourself, consider taking 10 minutes. Anything longer than that should be considered an indulgence.
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Water Conservation Strategies for Eco-Conscious Homeowners
Harvest and Use Rainwater
If it's legal in your area, consider harvesting and using rainwater. This is a natural and somewhat abundant resource that you can use to water your gardens instead of relying on water from the tap. A simple rain barrel can help you in many ways.
Don’t Water Your Lawn (or Do So Strategically)
Nearly 80 percent of domestic water usage is associated with lawns and gardens. If you can avoid watering your lawn entirely, you should do so; in most areas, rain is ample enough to keep your grass relatively healthy. If you must water your lawn or garden, do so strategically. That means avoiding waste in the form of watering pavement, watering early in the morning and late at night to avoid evaporation, and only watering when truly necessary.
Check for Leaks
Keep an eye out for leaks in your house. A leaky faucet or toilet may seem like a small inconvenience, but it can add up to waste dozens of gallons of water over a long enough time horizon. Better yet, install a smart leak detector so you're automatically alerted if any of your appliances are malfunctioning.
Install Low Flow Aerators
Many people are reluctant to install low-flow aerators, but they don't have much of an impact on the practical experience of using faucets and showerheads. They're very cheap, easy to install, and they can save you a lot of water over the long term.
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Turn Off the Faucet Between Activities
Finally, make sure you're turning off the faucet between rounds of activities. For example, you should turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth, rather than leaving it running. Again, this seems like a small thing, but it can have a big impact.
Water Conservation Strategies for Eco-Conscious Homeowners
With these strategies, you should be able to greatly reduce your water consumption, reducing your water bill and protecting the environment in the process. The more we do to conserve water, the better we can protect this vital and limited resource.
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