One of the most important resources on Earth is water, and that is a fact that most people know. It is also essential to the daily lives of human beings in able to survive. As the dry season approaches the Philippines, the temperature gets hotter and hotter. As a result, normal household water consumption actually triples. Of course, we all wouldn’t like to see a massive water bill at the end of the month so our prime question is: how can we save water during the dry season?
Saving water is something that Filipinos strive for all year round but especially during the dry season, which is when the demand for clean and potable water is higher than ever. Luckily, there are tons of ways to save water. In this article, we are listing down ways how to conserve water from making sure that your tap water is not leaking to recycling your rinse water and more.
Conserve Water at Home
We usually use water liberally at home which is why, it is logical that we learn how to save water in our own place. Take note that in conserving water, individual efforts can only do so much, so make sure that everyone living in the household knows the steps for water conservation.
Check for leaky faucets to conserve tap water
One of the main reasons for high water consumption bills at the end of each month is leaky faucets that are left unattended for long periods of time. Some faucets might be leaking due to damaged or unsteady faucets or maybe it is not closed properly after use and left running overnight.
It might seem like a small drip and not a lot of water getting wasted but each drop matters and if you put a bucket under leaking faucets and leave it overnight, you’d see how much water is accumulated.
Some leaky faucets are hard to notice and if you suspect that there’s a faucet inside your house that is leaking, there are steps you can perform to diagnose which one.
- Close all the faucets and drain or dry up any water around the base of the faucet.
- Watch the head of the faucet if there are drops coming out even though it is tightly closed. Take note that some leaks drop in longer intervals so watch closely and patiently.
- Watch the base of the fixture. Monitor if there’s a water build-up and leaking through the base. Some leaks are caused by improper installation of the fixture or wobbly faucets.
- If the faucet is located at a sink, make sure to check under the sink as well. Leaks under the sink are harder to notice since people rarely look at that place.
- Place a bucket or dipper under a faucet that you are suspecting to be leaking overnight and check if there’s water inside in the morning.
Read Also: 9 Common Plumbing Problems to Watch Out for
Leaky faucets should be fixed immediately after you discover them but in order to save more water consider installing faucet aerators. These devices like low-flow aerators help with regulating the water coming out of your faucets, reducing the splashing, and making the water flow more productively which in turn, saves more water.
Close the water valve
In water conservation, it is important to make sure that nothing is leaking, whether when it comes to faucets or water pipes. If you are planning to leave your house for a long period of time, it is best to close your water meter.
Closing your water meter when you and your family are away or even at night makes sure that leaks or any left-open water fixtures aren’t running. Sometimes, there are instances when you are running late for your errands, leaving your faucet run.
Reducing the usage of the toilet flush
Most toilet bowls come with a toilet tank and built-in toilet flush. Although toilet flushes come in handy when using the bathroom, sometimes it consumes more water than necessary.
If you’ve used the toilet and it doesn’t seem like you need to use the toilet flush, you can use the traditional method of flushing the toilet which is getting a dipper and pail of water. By using this method, you have more control over how much water is used in flushing rather than using the toilet flush.
Using the toilet flush consumes more water because it generates a constant amount of water in every use, meaning it isn’t water efficient most of the time.
Modern toilets with toilet tank manufacturers have found a solution to this which is to divide the water flush buttons or commonly called the dual flush, one of which gives less water to the bowl than the other. This solution gives an option to users to choose which amount of water is appropriate to use for flushing. Dual flush is now commonly seen to available toilet fixtures in the market.
This can also be applicable to showers as they would continue dripping in small amounts after use.
Choosing the right appliances
That’s right! To better conserve water, choosing the right appliances is a great help.
Investing in appliances such as a high-efficiency washing machine can greatly help your plan in conserving water as it provides fewer rounds of full loads of spinning laundry which saves water. Choosing the right appliances makes sure that you are not wasting more water unconsciously.
Water heaters are becoming popular nowadays because it alters the temperature of your water based on your needs. It is very handy when you are in need of cold water or warm water in showering or washing dishes. Make sure in buying water heaters, to choose those with high efficiency to avoid waste of large amounts of water.
Read Also: 8 Ideas On Where To Put Your Washing Machine
Reuse wastewater and save water
One of the best answers to how can we save water during dry season is to reuse water. You read that right, water can be reused for other things as well just like recycling your old stuff.
Not all wastewater can be reused because it might be toxic and contaminated already, although most used water can be reused for other things. Here are some tips on how you can reuse water.
- Water left from half-drunk water bottles or excess drinking water from pitchers shouldn’t be thrown at the kitchen sink immediately. You can combine and pour water into a container and use them to wash dishes.
- Water that you used to clean vegetables can be used to water your plants, avoid using soapy water in watering plants though.
- Water usage from rinsing the dishes can be used to clean other things such as slippers as long as the water is not too dirty.
- Excess water can be used for cleaning the car or watering plants.
Reusing water is a huge help in water conservation so better get your pails ready.
Collecting rainwater
By collecting rainwater, you can possibly save five to ten gallons of water each time because you don’t have to rely on your primary water supply every time. Rainwater, although not as clean as the water running from the taps, can still be useful in a lot of ways. Rainwater collection or rainwater harvesting is efficient because we are making use of something that is given to us by nature for free. When the water supplies inside our household are inevitably making the water consumption rise, it’s time for us to look for solutions outside.
Rainwater is free and it’s literally a blessing from the sky! There are three ways in which you can potentially use collected rainwater, first for natural irrigation, second for indoor uses for non-potable use, and third for miscellaneous uses that can sometimes be for potable use. Besides being free, the collection and usage of water, dry season or not, has a lot of benefits such as:
- it is recommended by the national environmental protection agency
- it encourages people to be self-sufficient and conserves gallons of water
- it can be used as a backup whenever your main water provider decides to conduct emergency maintenance or repairs
- it gives you control over your water usage
- collecting rainwater for water conservation is accepted as being environmentally responsible
- rainwater harvesting is not hard to do and you do not need any fancy equipment to do so
Although rainwater harvesting or rainwater collection can be done easily just by placing a container under your roof drainage to collect roof water run-off, you also have the option to install a cistern in your yard. A cistern helps on collecting rainwater when water lands on the ground and it will store them in a hidden container or deliver them to a purifying machine, and into a water pump to your water fixtures.
Conserving Water In Gardening
We’ve tackled a lot of things you can do to save gallons of water indoors, but now let’s ask what is the most efficient way to save water outside of your home, particularly in gardening. The good news is there are tons of ways to conserve water when gardening and these methods don’t sacrifice the health of your plants and make sure that your plants thrive even though you are using less water. Here are some water conservation tips in gardening that might be helpful for you.
Water your plants at the right time
Watering your plants at the right time makes sure that your plants absorb most of the water that you are giving them instead of letting the water evaporates easily. The recommended time to water plants is early morning or right after sunset, watering your plants at these times will reduce evaporation and will also reduce the need for you to water your plants again in a day.
Watering your plants at the right time is water-saving as it uses less water because they’re getting enough moisture from the water and do not need watering again until tomorrow or until they need to be watered again. You can also use rinse water to water your plants!
Plant at the right soil
Planting your plants in the right soil makes sure that your plants are absorbing all the water that you are giving them. The right soil will also give help with maintaining a proper irrigation system for your garden and maintaining soil moisture longer. Choosing the right soil is water-saving because your plants retain moisture more compared to planting in inappropriate soil.
Maintaining the soil moisture where your plants are planted gives your longer intervals of time to water your plants.
Make sure that your sprinklers are working properly
If you have a large lawn, you are possibly using sprinkler systems to water plants. If you do, make sure that they are checked to operate properly as it can be not healthy for your plants if just one side of them is getting watered. Although using sprinkler systems can be helpful for efficiency, some of them don’t have a built-in timer. This can result in you forgetting that they are still running for more than enough time as much watering is needed which is why sometimes hand watering is better or setting it to light sprinkling if possible.
Turning off ornamental water features sometimes will also help in saving water and saving money as it also conserves electricity.
As we experience the heat in the middle of the summer, it is best to find ways to save gallons of water as possible. By learning these tips, you are not only helping yourself save tons of water and save money you are also saving the world to fight global warming. Water efficiency must always be considered in our daily tasks because it reduces our water footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. Local communities should also work together to conserve water.
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Written by Rashid M.
