There was a time when the sight of youngsters running through a sprinkler on a hot summer day brought a smile to your face and childhood memories to mind. However with a lack of rain this summer and a province-wide water shortage, you not only tell those kids to get off your lawn, but to get off their own lawn as well and stop wasting high quality H20. There’s no two ways around it, having a short supply of water is a drain on us all, but for now we must reserve and preserve what we do have.
Try implementing as many of these water saving tips as possible to help us get through this summer H20 shortage…
- Never let water go down the drain. It can be reclaimed for uses such as washing vegetables or watering a garden or even lawn in rain shortages.
- Install a high efficiency toilet. Now is as good a time as any to replace any old or outdated toilets. Toilets account for about 30% of a home’s water consumption so opting for a high efficiency or dual flush toilet during your bathroom renovation will leave you feeling like you’ve done your part to conserve our most precious resource.
- Check toilets for leaks by installing food coloring in the tank. If the color appears in the bowl your toilet may be unnecessarily filling to overcompensate for the leaks.
- Mind your faucets. Only a drip per second will waste 2,700 gallons of water per year. Installing smart or water-wise faucets can also cut usage up to 30% annually.
- Install new shower fixtures as they can cost as little as $10-$20 while reducing usage from 20%-60%.
- Cut down on shower time by installing an alarm in the bathroom. Health experts say most showers should only take 5-10 minutes anyway.
- Reuse bath towels by giving everybody in the family their own and drying them outside.
- Always run an optimum washer load. If you find yourself doing laundry because you’re out of clean clothes, take the whole family back-to-school shopping. More clothes in your wardrobe means that you can wait until you have a full load before you need run the washer.
- Use the dishwasher as it usually consumes less water than washing dishes by hand. Also, make sure the dishwasher is always full when running. If you are renovating your kitchen any time soon, be sure to opt for a high efficiency dishwasher. Not only will you save water, but you’ll also consume less energy meaning more savings to fund that new wardrobe!
- If you must wash your car to protect the investment, then use a commercial car wash that recycles the water for continuous use. Depending on the current water restrictions in your area, car washing may actually be prohibited so always double check the rules before you pull out the hose and car soap.
- Refrigerate a jug of water to prevent running taps unnecessarily while waiting for the water to get cold.
- Use mulch around trees and plants as the organic compound slows the evaporation of moisture and requires less frequent watering.
- Only water in the morning or late at night so the heat doesn’t evaporate the moisture. Before you water your lawn, check your local water restrictions. Never water your lawn if it is restricted.
While these tips merely scratch the surface of what can be done to conserve water by far the most important thing is to change your mindset. Follow these tips everywhere you go whether it be a hotel, restaurant or at work. Finally, help make others aware that water usage is a gift and one that should not be literally thrown down the drain.