What does saving water mean? Saving water means cutting down on the amount of water that you use, whether on an individual or on a corporate scale.
Saving water will not only cut down on your water bills: it will also help you to save the environment for future generations as well.
To help you out with this, below you will find a list of 25 ways to save water.
1. Measure the amount in your kettle.
When making a cup of tea, we often just fill the kettle from the tap, boil much more water than we need, then pour the excess away once we have filled our cup. Measuring out water in the cup first before pouring it into the kettle will ensure that we only use as much as we need.
2. Take showers not baths.
In general, an average length (i.e. anything less than 10 minutes) shower uses much less water than a bath.
3. Equip your taps with water saving devices.
An inexpensive plastic device is all that you need to limit the flow of water from your taps.
4. Collect rainwater.
Rainwater is generally not safe to drink unless you have a proper water purifier. However, it can be used to water plants in the garden or to wash your car with: much more environmentally friendly than a garden hose.
5. Turn the faucet off when you brush your teeth.
Wet the toothbrush, then switch off the water flow as you brush. Only turn the water on again, briefly, when you need to rinse your brush at the end.
6. Cut down on your purchases of new products.
Not many people are aware, but gallons of water are used in the production of cars, plastic furniture and everyday garments. Cutting down on the amount of new products that you buy can help to save these ‘invisible’ gallons of water.
7. Install a water saver in your cistern.
Each time you flush the toilet, several gallons of water are wasted. Toilets are, in general, very inefficient: you need less than a gallon of water to flush the toilet properly. Fitting your cistern with a water saving device will ensure you only use as much water as you need.
8. Use a mop and bucket.
Do not use running water to wash the floor, opt for a single bucket instead.
9. Share bathwater.
If you must have a bath, consider letting your kids use it after you: this avoids running two bath loads of water. Used bathwater isn’t that dirty at all!
10. Observe hosepipe bans.
Do not flout hosepipe bans during drought conditions: be community minded!
11. Wash your hair using a bowl.
Switch off the shower completely and wash your hair in a bowl or small tub of water instead (many hairdressers do this, so you could even invest in a special hairdresser’s bowl). This can be super relaxing – especially if you get somebody else to do it for you.
12. Reuse cooking water.
Do not throw away the water you used to cook those potatoes. Turn it into gravy or use it to cook other veg in later.
13. Don’t pollute the water we have.
Use household cleaners, cosmetics and so on that do not contain toxic chemicals that pollute the water in our streams, rivers and seas.
14. Donate to a water conservation charity.
Help others at home and abroad!
15. Inform others about the need to save water.
Post on social media, chat to your friends, or get involved in a community wide campaign to save water.
16. Lobby your local government officials.
Let them know that it is important to save water wherever possible in public buildings.
17. Lobby large corporations.
Do some research and find out which corporations could make water conservation more of a priority. Write to them to let them know how important this is.
18. Save leftovers.
Coffee left in a pot can be warmed up and drunk for several days after it was freshly made: no need to toss it out. The same goes for soups, jugs of squash and other water based foods and drinks.
19. Cut back on ice cubes.
Do you really need ice cubes in your drink? Why not just put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes instead?
20. Create a ‘trickle down’ system in your garden.
Place pot plants beneath hanging baskets. Water the basket only, then let the pot plants drink up the water that trickles down from it.
21. Fix taps that are dripping.
Dripping taps can waste a lot of water!
22. Fill that washing machine right up.
Using full loads will cut back on the amount of times you use your washing machine, thus conserving water.
23. Get a water meter.
This will help you to keep track of how much water you use and how much it costs: it’s handy to have a visible reminder of these things.
24. Keep a jug of cold water in the refrigerator.
Many people let the cold tap run for several minutes so they can get a super cool drink. No need to do this if you have cold water ready to hand.
25. Put your pot plants in plastic trays.
When we water our plants, sometimes the water can trickle away into the soil, or the cracks and crevices in a patio. Keep your pot plants in plastic trays, so no water is lost this way.
Conclusion: It is easy to save water: every drop of water saved soon becomes an ocean!
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