It’s easy to assume we have an infinite supply of water on our planet, with our vast oceans covering more than 70% of the surface.
The thing is, only about 1.2% of Earth’s water can be used as drinking water. Over 97% of it is salty and not directly usable for most of our needs.
When you consider the numbers, it’s astonishing how little freshwater is available to sustain all life on Earth. That’s when you realize just how pivotal it is to conserve the water we can use.
Although many of us learned about water conservation in schools these lessons fade as we grow older. So, let’s relearn the basics and understand how small actions can shape the future of our planet.
Here, we’ll outline 6 water conservation tips that are both easy and effective.
Let’s get into it.
6 Best Water Conservation Tips That Save Money
Below, we’ve outlined 6 key tips to help you conserve water quickly and easily to help you save money, time, and effort down the line.
- Fix that leak
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, an average household can waste 9,400 gallons of water annually from leaks. Believe it or not, much of it is from dripping faucets or leaky toilets.
Even if your tap is fully off, constant dripping can still significantly inflate your water bill. This can billow into a bigger issue cost-wise down the road.
If you spot a leak, turn off your water supply, check your pipes, and patch the issue. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, call a plumber as soon as you can get hold of one.
- Get artificial plants
If you live in drought-prone regions like Arizona and California, you’ll need to save water and cut down to ride through the (lack of) storms.
A good way out of this predicament is to reduce the water used to tend to your garden or indoor plants. While small potted plants don’t need a lot of water, large gardens or creative decor installations can quickly deplete your water supply.
Look into using alternatives like artificial hanging plants to stay on top of your water consumption. By mixing in some faux greenery, you can save on water without giving up your ideal garden.
- Maximize washer loads
Running your dishwasher or washing machine with partial loads wastes both water and energy. To conserve, wait until your appliance is full before running a cycle.
If your appliances aren’t equipped with energy-efficient modes that make running smaller loads economically viable, it’s best to stick to the “old-fashioned” way of doing things – filling them to capacity.
Still, if you’re debating if you should handwash or run a half-load, it’s still more efficient to do a half-load than to wash by hand.
- Turn off the tap
EPA has also reported that leaving the water running while you brush your teeth or wash your hands costs you up to 4 gallons per session. Over a year, that’s more than 2,400 gallons – enough to wash 450 cars!
So what should you do instead?
Wet your toothbrush or hands, turn the tap off while brushing or lathering, and then turn it back on to rinse.
These are all very small actions, but when you look at the bigger picture, they compound.
- Take more showers and less baths
May West once said: “When in doubt, take a bath.”
While her reasoning and love for baths is something many relate to, she likely didn’t consider the environmental implications baths can have. And we’re here to do that to say: “When in doubt, take a shower.”
Showers are, by default, much shorter than baths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that showers last 8 minutes on average, with a recommended maximum time of 10 minutes. This means you can get clean quickly without wasting tens of gallons of water to fill a bathtub (and then soak in your own grime, no less).
If you’re really commited, you can even get a shower timer from a local water company to keep your water usage in check.
- Collect rainwater
Capturing rainwater is a sustainable and easy way to reduce your reliance on treated water.
This free resource can water your garden or wash your car just the same. Since these activities can be done with any kind of water, you can conserve treated water for essential needs like drinking and cooking.
This will lessen the strain on public water systems and support a more sustainable approach to resource management. Plus, when you’re less reliant on paid water supplies, you’ll be able to lower your water bills over time.
Rain barrels or simple collection systems are affordable and easy to set up, especially in areas prone to seasonal rainfall.
Conclusion
You don’t need to be well-versed in environmental sciences to help the planet and conserve our most precious resources. Most of the time, you’ll simply need to learn about the topic.
After reading these 6 easy water-saving tips, we hope you can take this newfound information and put it to good use. Once you see the numbers on your water bill dropping, you’ll be even more motivated to do right by the planet.
