Simple tips for saving water at home
“No water, no life. No blue, no green.” Sylvia Earle
Water sustains all living things. Without water there is no life, which is why it is so important that we do what we can to save this precious commodity.
In New Zealand our individual daily water usage is very high. On average we use 227 litres of water per day per person. More than 70% is used in the bathroom and 20% in the kitchen and laundry.
For this reason, the most obvious place start saving water is at home. Small adjustments can make a big difference. Here are some simple suggestions on how to save water at home.
Take shorter showers – have you ever measured how long it takes to shower? It is estimated that we use 15 litres per person each day. If we limited the time spent here that could be quite a saving.
Turn off the water when brushing your teeth – it seems a logical thing to do. You could also use a small cup. Fill it with water. Brush your teeth, rinse, and … just like you do at the dentist.
Turn off the tap when cleaning vegetables – whether cleaning vegetables or rinsing dishes don’t leave the water running. It’s more effective to put in the plug and scrub everything you need to then pull the plug.
Don’t run the hose while washing the car – use a bucket with hot soapy water and sponge down the car. Make it fun and get the kids to join in.
Add mulch to your garden – mulch will slow down the evaporation of moisture, which means you don’t need to water it as much either.
Water the garden less – watering your garden using just the hose consumes 1.5 litres per minute. Make sure you have a good nozzle and cut back on how much time you would typically spend watering.
Use tap water for drinking – don’t buy water from the supermarket unless your drinking water is unhealthy. Use eco-friendly reusable water bottles and fill them at home. You’ll be helping the environment in more ways than one.
We think we have enough water, but if previous summers are anything to go by, the reality is we don’t. We’re all for cutting back now so that our children’s children can enjoy the same access to water we currently enjoy ourselves.