Some water saving hacks for you

Despite an intention to save the crippling situation, given our dependence on water for umpteen activities in our daily lives, we are often at a loss of ways to reduce the usage of water. But you will be surprised to know that a few tweaks to our daily habits can make a huge change and the regular water consumption per household can be brought down substantially. The following tips will help you in weeding out the inadvertent wastage of water around the house and contribute to the bigger picture.

Direct impact 

l Stop those leaks: Leaky taps, faucets, or dripping tanks are major contributors to wastage. This directly converts to thousands of litres of water wastage in a year. So, get these fixed immediately.

l Stop the running: Taps left running while brushing or shaving waste nearly 15 litres of water per individual at a time. Over a period of time and the number of users, it adds to significant figures of wasted water. The wastage is more when utensils are washed directly under a running tap. Machines use fixed amounts of water to wash and clean. Sensitising the family and domestic staff along with judicious use of machines is a prudent option.

The next wastage zone is the toilet flush. A full cistern of water may not be required always. It is wise to upgrade to better versions which use half/full tank per flush.

Wastage of water is further increased when we let the tap run while waiting for the right temperature of hot water, especially with showers and solar heaters. At such times, collect the colder water in a bucket and use it for flushing, mopping or other activities. Being thoughtful goes miles in reducing wastage.

l Say no to luxuries: Switching to bucket baths instead of showers reduces the water consumption by more than half. If showers cannot be avoided, then try to reduce the shower time. It is obvious that soaking in a luxurious tub is not going to earn any brownie points in the conservation department.

l Collect and contribute: Installing a rain water harvesting system is an excellent way to supplement the water supply requirements. Water collected from rainwater can be effectively used to water the plants, wash vehicles, fill pools (after circulating through treatment tank) etc. With appropriate plumbing works, it can be used to recharge aquifers in the groundwater system too.

Indirect impact

You will be surprised to realise that there are ways to further reducing water consumption and enhance the conservation cycle.

l Be prudent in using electricity. Sounds odd? Not really, when you acknowledge the fact that large amounts of water are used to generate electricity. Hence, lesser demand automatically reduces consumption.

l The same is true for bottled water too. Before reaching out to one, keep in mind that large quantities of water are wasted to package a litre of drinking water. So, why not refuse bottled water wherever possible? Adapt to carrying from home instead.

l The garden and potted plants need plenty of water to maintain. Use a sprinkler can instead of a hose to water them. Use recycled water — collected from vegetable and other kitchen washes, mop water etc. — for gardens, lawns and plants. Else, switch over to cacti and succulent variety of plants in the garden which need little water.

l Did you consider bathing your pet in the garden? The water that runs can go to the plants directly. Make sure no harmful chemicals are being used though.

l Other indirect contributions can be to wash the vehicles with a bucket and cloth instead of a hose; better still would be to get them cleaned at a garage where water is recycled and used, reducing the consumption drastically.

l Always run machines on their full load to optimise on water and electricity consumption. Upgrade to better quality taps, faucets and machines which are designed with sensors for lower consumption.

l Look around and implement more changes; see the difference in the reduced utility bills and also contribute your share to the conservation of these precious drops of life.