With so much emphasis right now on saving energy, many wonder why there are companies who seek to help with water conservation on large-scale projects.
Ultimately people want to know why saving water is important. Here in the UK it rains a whole lot, which of course raises further questions. Although we know that there are countries around the world with water shortages, we can’t exactly send the rain from Manchester their way now can we?
Whilst this is a valid question, the answer is pretty simple, which is that saving water is important, not to share the water out elsewhere, but to minimise the energy costs involved with cleaning and distributing the water.
From reservoirs the water has to be pumped to pump, cleaned and then pumped again in order to get water into the home, not to mention the infrastructure costs with maintaining the plumbing systems.
All of this costs electricity and gas, and that is what needs to be conserve. Companies like Opal Water Management will work on big corporate projects, but at home, there are many things that you can do on your own.
Stay Leak Aware
Not only are leaks going to ruin the carpet and the underlay, they will see litres and litres of water wasted for nothing. It is therefore important to always be mindful of leaks, especially around sealed areas like the toilet and bath.
Heavy Flushing
Every time you flush the toilet it takes 5 to 7 gallons of water to clean through.
This is all well and good if you have been to the bathroom, but if you are simply throwing away bits of toilet paper, it just isn’t worth it.
Short Showers
Showers use up significantly less water than baths, and when you do take a shower, try to keep it short. Instead of keeping it running, simply wet your body, soap up and then switch the shower back on to rinse.
Running the Tap
If you keep the tap running whilst you are shaving or washing your teeth then you will be simply wasting water for the most part.
A rinse is fine but there is no need to just pour the water down the tap without having used it.
Fully Loaded Dishwasher
If you have a dishwasher in the home then try to avoid using it unless you have a full load to wash. The dishwasher, on average, uses 25 gallons of water, which is an awful lot for just a couple of plates and some cutlery.
Watering the Lawn
Only water the lawn when it is absolutely necessary or aim to collect rainwater to use for this. Equally if you have a sprinkler, be sure that all of the water is going on the lawn, and not being wasted on the path as it moves.
These are small and simple changes which you can make that will help you to conserve more water, doing your bit for the planet.