From Guest Blogger Lillian Connors: How to Prevent Household Water Waste

With more and more people predicting that some major wars in the not so distant future will be fought over water, it’s really important that we save this precious resource if our civilization is to become sustainable. The conservation of fresh water is one of the burning issues that governments and scientists from all over the world have been trying to resolve, often with little success.

Curbing water waste is a very complex task, since it involves many elements, from problems in the supply chain to economical use of water by end-users. Also, people have only recently started thinking more about capturing and storing rainwater, thus reducing stormwater runoff. The answer lies in increasing awareness about the importance of preserving water and we should all do our bit to prevent wasting water. Here’s how.

Dishwasher

Apart from being energy-efficient, most modern dishwashers have a water-saving mode, which consumes about half the water, yet provides the same results. Also, the better you scrape off the leftovers, the less need you’ll have from pre-rinsing and you’ll save both time and money, while preserving water.

Washers

It’s estimated that a typical top-loading washer uses about 40 gallons of water for every full load, while new front-loading ones use only about a half of that amount . You should also remember to wash only full loads for maximal effect.

Choose recycled products

Whenever we buy something made by recycling, we are supporting a production process that consumes much less water and energy than the one which creates products from raw materials.

Go vegetarian (more often)

If you just think about how much water is needed to feed, hydrate and service farm animals whose meat you end up eating, you’ll realise just how much water you’ll save up by simply going vegetarian even for a one day a week.

Dual-flush toilets

These toilets allow you to choose how much water you need to flush, instead of always emptying the whole tank. Again, the secret is in the number of times the toilet is flushed over a period of one year. So, even if you don’t think that the amount of water saved with one flush deserves investing in a dual-flush toilet, multiply that amount by the number of times it is used and the picture will be quite different.
Certain professionals, as this plumber operating in Canberra, have solid relationships with suppliers across their region, meaning that they can provide advice on which products are the best performers for your budget.

Showerheads

One of the ways to save even more water is to install a modern showerhead, which uses much less water than the traditional one. When you think about how many times the shower in your home is used every year, it doesn’t come as a surprise that we’re talking about thousands of gallons saved.

Water the lawn early in the morning

If you water your lawn at noon, evaporation will prevent a great deal of water in the hose from reaching the plants roots. Watering in the morning, on the other hand, will allow the grass to absorb much more water.

Rain barrel

If you collect the runoff water from gutters and roofs, you can use it to water your lawn or garden and save water and money at the same time. Rain barrels are pretty cheap and can be easily installed, which is another advantage.

We simply have to do everything we can to prevent water waste and it’s not just because that will have a positive effect on our financial situation. It has even more to do with the fact that we are facing a serious problem of water shortage, which can have dreadful consequences on both the planet and the people living on it.