If you’re looking to have a more positive impact on the environment, one of the most important things you can do is to cut down on your water usage. Water conservation saves money on your water bill, as well as preventing pollution in nearby lakes and river. Conserving water also extends the life of your septic system, because it reduces soil saturation, as well as reducing pollution due to leaks.
There are lots of ways to conserve water, both in and around your home. Take a look at these suggestions and see how you can be more conscious of your water usage.
- Upgrade your toilet – Old toilets used to use up to seven gallons of water per flush. However, modern toilets are more efficient, and use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Your toilet may be well overdue for an upgrade.
- Take shorter showers – A four-minute shower alone uses about 20 to 40 gallons of water. If you can’t cut down your shower time, try turning off the water when you’re not using it to soap up or rinse off.
- Only wash full loads –
- Turn off the water when brushing your teeth – Many people make the mistake of leaving the water running when they’re brushing their teeth, after moistening their toothbrush. Turning off the water after moistening your brush, before rinsing and spitting, can save all that unnecessary water.
- Use mulch – Covering your planting beds with mulch will slow the evaporation of moisture in the soil, and make it so you don’t have to water your plants as often.
- Water in the morning –Watering early in the morning also helps to reduce water loss due to evaporation, as well as preventing the growth of fungus.
- Clean your driveway with a broom –Sweeping off your driveway with a broom saves a lot of water.
- Only water the plants – Make sure your sprinklers are only watering the grass and plants, and not paved areas.
Saving water can be as simple as upgrading to water efficient toilets, to shutting off the water when you’re brushing your teeth. Links like this.