4 Areas at Home Where You Can Help Conserve the Earth’s Water

The average American household uses over 300 gallons of water per day. But water is a limited resource. 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and 2.7 billion don’t have enough water for at least one month out of the year.

So we should do all we can to conserve water and not waste it. 

In this article, we’ll go over 4 places in your home where you can help conserve the earth’s water: the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and outside. 

 

Let’s get started!

 

1. Conserve water in the bathroom

The bathroom is where half of your indoor water use occurs. After all, it has the shower, bathtub, sink, and toilet! One of the first things you can do to limit water use is to install low-flow fixtures (aka aerators). You can install them on faucets and showerheads to help you save up to 700 gallons of water per year!

Beyond that, try taking shorter showers. You really only need about 5 minutes max. And if you’re up for a challenge, turn off the shower while you lather your body with soap and your hair with shampoo and conditioner. That will save a lot of water as well.

Next, check underneath faucets and toilets for any leaks. And replace any old toilets that aren’t energy efficient. Ever since the 1992 Energy Policy Act, toilets are required to use only 1.6 gallons of water per flush.

You can also place a plastic bottle filled with rocks or sand in the toilet tank to conserve water when flushing. And if you want to take your toilet to the next level, consider installing a bidet. It will help conserve water and promote a cleaner earth by reducing the amount of toilet paper (which requires a lot of water to produce) by 75% or more!

 

2. Conserve water in the kitchen

Moving on to the kitchen. Just like in the bathroom, you want to install aerators on the faucet(s). Then when it comes to cleaning dishes by hand, turn off the faucet except to rinse them. And if you use a dishwasher, don’t bother pre-rinsing the dishes since the dishwasher does that for you. And only run full dish loads to make the most out of each time you use the dishwasher. 

 

3. Conserve water in the laundry room

The laundry room accounts for about 17% of your overall water usage. Here, you have a few ways to save water. First of all, you should invest in a high-efficiency (HE) front-loading washing machine. It uses three times less water than a traditional washer.

As a rule, you should also only run full loads to get the most out of each wash. And make sure to choose the appropriate load size setting so that you don’t use more water than necessary. Of course, many modern washing machines can sense the load size automatically to determine how much water is needed.

 

4. Conserve water outside

 

Lastly, we use a lot of water in our front- and backyards. Watering your lawn, for example, takes tons of water. So make sure you don’t overdo it. One inch of water per week should do it. And if you want to eliminate the need to water your lawn altogether, opt for turf or mulch instead of grass. 

Another thing you can do is collect rainwater with a barrel. Let it fill up over time with rainwater that you can use to water your plants and grass. For a little more money, you can do the same thing by installing gutters and downspouts.

You can also start a compost. Composting not only helps you waste less food by turning your old food and scraps into fertilizer, but it helps maximize how much your plants grow so they don’t need as much water.

Lastly, don’t clean your steps, driveway, deck, or sidewalks by hosing them down. Use a broom instead. It’s easy work and it doesn’t require any water.

 

Final takeaways

Whether you live in a big or small house, you are responsible for how much water you use. To cut down on your water usage, start with one of the above tips and gradually work your way through the list. This way, you can do your part to preserve water—the source of life.