Many of us are guilty for taking advantage of how accessible water is in our day to day lives. The truth is that less than 1% of water is safe for humans, and the other 99% is either salt water, fresh water that is frozen in the ice caps, or inaccessible. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average American household uses over 300 gallons of water every single day. As the population grows, it becomes more and more crucial for each of us to play our part in helping conserve water.
When you save water, you also save money! Let’s go over 11 easy ways you can save water at home, from simple hacks to long term investments:
- 3 Gardening/Outdoor Tips
- 5 Plumbing Fixture/Appliance Tips
- 3 Maintenance Tips
3 Water-Saving Tips for Gardening and the Outdoors
1. Recycle Your Water
You can use recycled water to water your plants! Try recycling your water by:
- Placing a bucket to collect cold water while you wait for your shower/bath water to heat up
- Collecting water as you wash your fruit and vegetables
- Saving your pasta water!
All three of these are great ways to save water and help your plants thrive! Speaking of watering your plants …
2. Water You Plants in the Morning
We all know how bad the heat gets in south Louisiana, and if you wait to water your plants during the day then they are not absorbing all the water you give them. When you water your plants first thing in the morning, there is less heat and therefore less water is evaporated. Watering at night also leads to dampness, which can cause mold growth.
3. Collect Rainwater
You can also collect rainwater to help water your plants and garden. You can buy a new rain barrel for roughly $150, or you can make a DIY rain barrel that only costs about $35 in materials. Check out this cool article to see how New Orleans residents are saving money using (artistic) rain barrels! The bonus here is that you can use the collected water for more than just your garden, such as washing your car!
5 Water-Saving Plumbing Fixture/Appliance Tips
1. Turn Faucets Off
The EPA says that the average American wastes 8 gallons of water a day while brushing their teeth, which is almost 3,000 gallons of water every year! Try turning the faucet off the next time you brush your teeth to save water.
You can also save water while showering by turning the water off when you don’t need it. The next time you shower try running the water only when you need it, such as washing shampoo out of your hair or soap off your body.
2. Upgrade Your Plumbing Fixtures
With technology progressing faster than we realize, you can find water-conserving plumbing fixtures quickly and conveniently!
When looking for a replacement, make sure you see the Energy Star logo or seal. This means the product has passed standards and regulations set by the EPA for water conservation and efficiency. If you have questions regarding a fixture/appliance, reach out to your plumber and they should be able to steer you in the right direction.
3. Invest in a Tankless Water Heater
Tankless water heaters heat water on demand and provide hot water as soon as you turn the faucet on, instead of storing hot water like a traditional tank water heater. When you have hot water on demand, you are no longer wasting water while you wait for it to heat up.
Not only are you saving water, but you also save on energy costs since tankless water heaters are more energy efficient than tank water heaters. Depending on usage, tankless water heaters can be 24% – 34% more energy efficient than a traditional tank water heater.
4. Load Your Appliances
Make sure you fully load your appliances, such as your washing machine and dishwasher, before running it. If you dread the boring chores of washing dishes and doing laundry, this may be the best hack of them all!
The average dishwasher uses anywhere from 9 to 14 gallons of water per load, regardless of how many dishes are in it. If you want to take it one step further, look into purchasing a standard Energy Star dishwasher, which uses less than 4 gallons of water per load.
5. Check Your Toilets for Leaks
There’s a very simple trick you can do yourself to check for a toilet leak. First, place a few drops of food coloring in the tank. Check back again later (make sure you do not flush the toilet in the meantime) and if you see the color in the bowl, you may have a leak.
Make sure you call a plumber out to address the problem since that leak can cause you to waste more than 100 gallons of water a day!
3 Water-Saving Maintenance Tips
1. Maintain Your Drains
Many homeowners forget about their drains until a clog happens, which can result in thousands of dollars in damages. Clogs in your pipes can also cause water to back up and overflow, which wastes a lot of water.
Once a month, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down your drain, followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar. Cover the drain for 15 minutes and then pour boiling water down the drain. This also helps eliminate odors and buildups, such as grease and bacteria!
2. Monitor Your Water Bill
Every month, monitor your water bill to ensure you do not suddenly have a spike in the price. This could mean that you have a leak somewhere. A sudden increase in price could mean you have a leak somewhere.
Contact your plumber or leak detector to come out and find where the leak is. Not only will you start saving water again, you will start saving money again too!
3. Schedule Your Yearly Plumbing Inspection
You should schedule a plumber to come out and inspect your home at least once a year. A plumber will be able to identify leaks and offer recommendations on changes to make.
A great example of this is a plumber may notice pipes that need to be replaced based on how they look and/or feel. By replacing the pipes early, you aren’t at a risk of those same pipes busting and leading to a large amount of water loss and a large bill.
