Do you use a lot of water? You might not think so, but did you know that by some estimates, the average person in the U.S. uses about 90 gallons of water every day? That’s quite a bit of water. It could be enough to fill between one and two tubs depending on how big your tub is. So it couldn’t hurt for all of us to practice a little bit of water conservation.
Water, while abundant in most areas of the U.S. and Canada, can be scarce – and more so as time goes on. We see this in areas like California and other areas as well. Practicing water conservation in our home affects the environment, as well as our household’s bottom line.
So let’s look at a couple of small areas where we can make a big difference.
Try a New Toilet. Old fashioned toilets use up to 5 times as much water as modern ones, so if you want to save water, that is a good place to start. It is possible to upgrade the flushing mechanism in your toilet – but to truly make it efficient, replacing your entire toilet is your best bet. Try to find one with the best flushing function with low water usage. They are pretty popular nowadays, so they should be relatively easy to find in any hardware store.
Reduce Water at Your Sink. If you haven’t done so already, installing aerators on your faucets can greatly increase their efficiency, since you still get good pressure from the faucet despite the fact that you use a lot less water. In fact, most people prefer a faucet with an aerator on them.
Daily Habits. It is also good to get into some good habits that are easy to institute. Turning off the water when not using it (which is especially hard to do with young children in the house sometimes) both at a sink or in the shower and other places will have a big impact. For instance, it’s more convenient to leave the water running while we shave, but should we turn the water off between rinsing? While doing dishes (you know, because you had to have that fancy mug and dish set that isn’t dishwasher safe), can you turn the water of while scrubbing, and then turn it back on to just rinse.
By doing just a few small things we can make a big difference in our water usage.