Every bit of savings adds up so if the water bill can be cut even by ten percent, it can be a great help. There are many ways that a person can reduce water usage and some of them are very basic. It just takes some effort to get into the habit of water conservation when required. Here are a dozen of these methods that a person can utilize starting right away.
Check for leaks
Over time pipes and faucets may develop weak spots of loosen after so much use. One of the first things that a person should do is look for these leaks and fix them. Even though a drip is only small, over time, they add up to gallons of water wasted and extra money on the bill.
Avoid the extra rinse
This pertains to dishes and clothes. Instead of rinsing dishes before they are put into the dishwasher, simply scrape off the extra dirt. As for clothes, make sure that the extra rinse is actually needed. In most cases, the single rinse is sufficient.
Fill the dishwasher
How many times a week does the dishwater clean the dishes but it is only partly full? Many people do this but it wastes a lot of water. It is better to use the dishwasher only when it is full. This might mean using the machine once a day instead of twice, or otherwise, it is still a good way to use water wisely.
Use a bowl to wash the dishes
Whether or not a person has a dishwasher, filling a large bowl with water and doing the dishes that way is much more efficient in terms of water usage. The practicality of this method depends on the dishes that need to be washed. When the dishes are relatively clean already but washed in a bowl, the leftover water, known as ‘gray water,’ can be kept and used for other chores later.
Reuse dishes
Glasses, cups, plates and utensils that are hardly dirty do not necessarily need to be washed. If they really want to budget water use, a person can easily keep the dishes to use for later.
Keep water in the fridge
For the person who tends to drink a lot of water, it can be a good idea to keep a jug of it in the fridge. This prevents them from having to run the tap water waiting for it to become cold.
Use a water efficient shower head
There are certain shower heads that have been designed to save water. They use mechanisms to offer control over the water flow so that a good pressure is still available but less water is used. The savings that are received through this water conservation is enough to pay for the shower head several times over within a few months. In the run of a year, one such shower head can save over $300.
Limit shower time
Is a long shower really necessary? Sometimes it is when it comes to easing tense muscles but generally, they can be avoided. Showers use a lot of water. Even reducing shower time by five minutes can save a lot of water and money in the long run.
Trick the toilet
While the toilet is just a device, it can still be tricked. Placing a brick or a bottle filled with sand at the bottom of the water tank but opposite the flushing mechanism can do this. The object displaces the water in the tank and actually makes the toilet use less of the liquid whenever it is flushed.
Avoid flushing unnecessarily
The toilet tends to get flushed for a lot of reasons aside from getting rid of body waste. For example, flushing ashes, paper, facial tissues, and leftovers – the list goes on. Each flush that is not needed wastes gallons of water. This waste can be avoided by using other means of disposal.
Sweep the driveway
Washing the paved driveway is not the only way to get it clean. Sweeping does the same job and costs nothing but a little effort.
Use mulch for the garden
Water tends to evaporate from the garden thus requiring it to be re-hydrated. Applying mulch to the top of the garden prevents this evaporation, therefore becoming a practical water conservation method.
Consistency is the key
These are just twelve ways to use water wisely and save money on the water bill. To use those that apply to any particular person may take a gradual change in habits. However, using just a few of these methods consistently can prove to decrease costs over the span of even a few months.