If there’s one thing many people don’t understand it’s the value of water. We absolutely take it for granted. There are some areas in this world that walk for miles to get one bucket full of water and we simply turn the faucet on and watch liquid life flow freely for our unlimited us. It’s absolutely incredible when you think about it, and if you’ve ever witnessed a culture that struggled for a few drops of water, suddenly your whole outlook on life changes. Think about where we would all be at if we had water shortages more frequently. There are a lot of ways to conserve water which ultimately will save you money.
Shorter Showers/Baths
I enjoy a long shower from time to time, but is it really necessary? Back when water was a little harder to come by, people used to take baths and use the same water for the whole family. That might make you crinkle your nose in disgust, but it just goes to show how wasteful we are today. At the very least, reduce your shower time from 10 minutes down to 6 or 7 minutes. I have my shower down to about 5 minutes if not less. If your shower is where you wake up in the morning (which is why you’re in there so long), then perhaps you need to have a coffee first and then take a shower second.
Another way to save on that shower water is by installing a low flow shower head. The pressure on most low-flows is still quite good; they just shoot out more fine streams of water than a regular shower head. If you simply cannot bring your shower down from 10 minutes to 8 minutes, then a low-flow shower head is your ticket to saving water.
If you really want to save water though, you’ll turn off that continuous stream of water coming out of the shower head and you’ll take a bath instead. After a long day at work, sometimes a bath is quite relaxing actually. Try it and see how you like it. You’ll still get clean, you’ll save water, and you’ll save money too!
Efficient Toilet
Just like the shower head, you could invest in a more efficient toilet. Sure, it’s not all that eloquent to talk about, but this is the reality of it: old toilets are inefficient and use up quite a lot of water. The newer models can do just as good of a job with half the water.
Shaving
Some of us shave with a continuous flow of water from the faucet. This is an absolute waste of water. Why not just fill the sink with hot water and keep dipping your shaver in there when you need it cleaned off? It’s incredibly simple and will most definitely save on water.
Have Plants that Don’t Need Constant Watering
If you live in an open area and constantly get beat by the sun, do not grow plants that are more hardy in the shade. They will need constant watering just to stay alive. Instead, plant drought tolerant plants that can handle much more sun and will need far less watering.
Where in the past most folks paid a flat fee for water, many jurisdictions are now charging for water consumption not unlike the pay for use electric bills people have received for years. One easy to adopt option is to conserve natural resources to save money for your future - financially and for the habitat we share.
