Turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth and taking shorter showers will help you save water at home. But there are more creative ways to reduce the amount of water you use daily.
Consider that at least one source estimates that people use approximately 80 to 100 gallons of water every day — and that’s per person. And the three main causes of water consumption in the home are, in order, flushing the toilet, taking a shower, and taking a bath.
So, how do you go about conserving water, reducing your carbon footprint, and being a better steward of the environment? Read on to find some creative ways to save water at home.
DIY Toilet Float Booster
Remember that bit of information above that mentioned toilet flushing as the main cause of water consumption in the home? Well, there’s a creative way — one that won’t cost you a penny — to drastically reduce the amount of water used every time you push the flush lever. The solution is a toilet float booster that can be placed in the toilet tank so that you end up using less water every time you flush. In order to make one, do the following:
- First, get yourself a two-liter soda bottle. If your family is like most, you probably have some on hand right now either in your fridge or in your recycling container.
- Second, fill 25% of the two-liter bottle with sand, fill the remaining 75% with water, screw the cap on, and then place the bottle in the toilet tank.
What this DIY float booster will do is force your toilet to fill up less, and this can actually save you 1 gallon each time you flush. When you contemplate that a toilet can use as much as 7 gallons every flush, you can start to appreciate how much water you can save.
Clean Driveway with Broom — Not With Water
With spring on the way, you’ll soon want to give your driveway a good cleaning. It’s common to use a garden hose to do the honors, but that will translate into a huge waste of water. Consider that a running garden house uses approximately 2 gallons of water every minute. So, instead of getting the hose, use a broom. It’ll do just as good a job without using up any of your water.
Reuse Pasta Cooking Water
After cooking your pasta, resist the temptation to dispose of the pasta water down the kitchen sink drain. Instead, you can reuse the liquid. You definitely need to allow it to cool first. After that, you can use it to water your plants. This can cut down on a lot of needless water use.
Rethink Your Lawn
If you’re really attached to your lawn, then getting rid of it all together probably isn’t one of the options you have on the table. But making your lawn smaller or planting things that don’t need a whole lot of water will help. Also, look for plants that do not require a great deal of water as this will help you to reduce your water consumption needs.
Keep Drinking Water in the Fridge
You likely know what happens each time you go to the faucet to get a glass of cold water. You let the water run long enough for it to get nice and cold, and then you fill a cup and gulp away. But you can save water if you fill a jug of water and place it into your fridge. If you drink your eight glasses a day, you’ll soon realize how much water you can wind up saving.
Check for Increased Water Bills – If your home happens to have a water leak in any pipes, it can lead to major water usage. Oftentimes, pipes can leak underneath the home, or even from piping in the yard. Though the water may not flood into your home, it can still flood your yard, costing you hundreds of dollars. If you ever notice your water bill unexpectedly spike one month, it’s worth the time and effort to check if all your home’s pipes are secure.
As you can see, there are some creative ways to help you save water at home. While it will cost little or nothing to get these solutions in place, these suggestions can lead to reduced water use. Try them out to get started on your path towards water conservation.
