few simple ideas to Reduce Water Consumption © Sandrine New
Every day more, under pressure from human population constantly growing, the water becomes a commodity rare. We can all make a difference for our dear old earth, changing the way we use water, and for those who care about the fate of their own planet - as surprising as it may seem, they still exist! - At least for our personal finances.
Here, for starters, some simple suggestions. If we want to reduce our water consumption, we must stop viewing water as a renewable resource, and apply the famous three R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
I. Reduce
As for paper, glass, or anything else, it must always be the first step: for what is not consumed in the first place need not be reused or recycle. Reduce our consumption of water is easy, but it takes a bit of application and involvement.
1) Leaks
- First, make sure that your facility did not leak. To find out, the consumption rate displayed on your water meter before bedtime, and again on morning before any additional consumption. If the two amounts differ, you probably have a serious leak somewhere, and better call a plumber.
- Check your faucets for leaks and if necessary repair or for repair the leak. If you can not take care of it immediately, place, pending a container below, you will be amazed how small drops can fill buckets full!
2) Personal Care
- Can you wash your hands, teeth, or when you pour a glass of water, do not let the tap run longer than necessary.
- Prefer showers to baths and apply them the same principle of not letting the water run all the time you get wet, turn off water, lather up, turn on the tap to rinse, turn off the faucet.
- If you still continue to take baths, get used to bathe your children together: in general, they love it!
- A baby does not need a full bath: instead use a plastic bowl.
- Most of the time, it is quite enough not to wash every two days.
- If you live alone or with family, it is also not necessary, flushing of water each pee.
- Install a flush fitted with an economic system that allows to draw "half flush". Otherwise, most of flushing can be traced back the lever and stop the dumping of any water during hunting, and saves water.
- tanks of flush toilets are generally larger than necessary: reduce your capacity by placing a brick or large stone.
2) The dishes and laundry
- dishwasher manufacturers claim that it is more economical water use their machines to do the dishes by hand. It is undoubtedly true, if you do the dishes under running water. But if you use a tank for washing and another for rinsing and start washing the least dirty things - like glasses - you will not use much water.
- If anyone, besides me, always makes his laundry by hand, well, use exactly the same principle ...
- If you use a dishwasher or a washing machine, your machine will run only if they are full, you not only save water but also energy.
3) Self
- Unless you live near the sea and have to fight rust due to corrosion by salt, your car does not need to be washed often. Space out your washing.
- When you wash your car, use a bucket for washing soap and a clean water rinse. Avoid using the hose, if it is to reach inaccessible areas, like under the car.
4) The garden
- Do not over-watering your garden, you might even make him more harm than good by accelerating the leaching of soil.
- Some plants, including grass, do not need to be watered. Your grass is a little dry and yellowish? Big deal! It is natural for grass to turn yellow, its roots remain alive and it will eventually grow back even if it looks dead.
- Check the weather before watering: it is a waste of water just before the rain. The same common sense applies when adding water in a pool.
- When you water, do it at night, or, failing that, early in the morning to leave time for the land to absorb water before it is lost by evaporation.
- Choose native plants, local: they are adapted to your climate and for that, do not have big needs watering.
5) Cistern
Install a tank - or at least put -a bucket under your gutters. When you use water and harvested it costs you nothing and it costs much less to the environment because it did not have to be treated first.
A tank is ideal for watering your plants, wash your car, doing laundry by hand, add water to the pool and even, according to the level of pollution where you live, to drink. I live in an isolated area where rainfall is moderate and my family, comprising three members, survives entirely on our two water tanks that collect water from the roof of a small house and a garage.
II. Reuse
Whatever your efforts, water consumption is not zero. But what good is that, like many other things, water can often be reused, and it very easily. The principle is very simple: we need water "first hand" to drink, but water "second hand" is quite sufficient, for example, flushing the water ... Identify all the uses for which water "reuse" is sufficient, and avoid the ease of opening a tap for them.
1) The flush
is the most obvious: it's a big mess to use potable water for flushing. What water can be used instead? Smart people have invented an integrated, basin and toilet, where the water which is clamped to wash their hands flowing directly into the toilet tank underneath. If you can not find this type of toilet, or if their price is prohibitive - I've met in Japan - you may be able to tinker with yourself. Otherwise, you will like me to use plastic buckets and make transfers.
Where to find water recovery? In your tank - although this is still some way from water first hand - the bath water, the water used to clean the car, etc..
2) The bath
If you are still determined to take baths, use full water recycling bath water for children, at least in part, by adding hot water to your bath . The Japanese - who in some ways, are much greener than you might think, have a way to wash first with water from a bucket and only then to be immersed in the water from a hot bath. The whole family uses the same bath as well as the water is clean and kept warm by a sort of cover.
3) Gardening
Watering is a perfect job for your water tank. In addition, the water in your tank, do not involve chemicals, is much better for your plants. If the bath water is not too slippery, it can also be used for some plants.
4) Other
The bath water can still use other ways to wash his clothes or his car, for example, or to wash their hands.
III. Recycle
Recycling water is far easier than reducing its use or reuse, and it also has a cost. Therefore, it is preferable to avoid over-utilization water upstream. Most people do not have to worry about water recycling, because in our modern states, this task is usually entrusted to municipalities for that plants specializing in the treatment of wastewater.
Some individuals, however, go further by establishing their own ecological treatment system, instead of using chemicals, use the cleansing power of nature. The wastewater passes through a series of basins or specific plants were planted to purify water as you go. But this goes far beyond the scope of this article.
With the exception of the section on recycling, you see there's nothing very complicated or impossible. However, changing attitudes takes a little effort and unselfishness. But is that our planet does not deserve that one bathroom and a few jumps that you carry a few buckets of water for her?
