Smart Ways to Conserve Water at Home

Water is our lifeblood, we as humans have to have water to be able to survive. Water is precious, as such, finding great ways to easily conserve it can help not only save water, it can also help lower our water bills. There are a few different ways you can conserve water at home that can make a big difference in the water consumption of your home.

Pay Attention to How Much Water You Use

The first thing that you need to do to start conserving water is to pay attention to how much water you use in a day. Think about how much you turn on the faucet, how many times you flush the toilet, if you are doing dishes or loads of laundry, and how long you stay in the shower. There is no real way to conserve water if you are not paying attention to how much water you are using in the first place. One in 10 homes across the United States has leaks in their plumbing lines and may not even know it. Even a small leak can waste up to 90 gallons of water a day.

Check Your Faucets

The most common household leak is a faucet leak. A recent study done by the EPA found that a leaky faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year. Take the time to go around your home and look closely at each faucet. If you find that you have a leaky faucet, never fear, this is a fairly common issue that can be fixed relatively easily. A plumber can come out and fix a leaky faucet in a matter of time and help you save water.

Showerheads also fall into this category. A leaky showerhead that drips no more than ten times in a minute can waste over 500 gallons of water a year. That is the total amount of water that it takes to run your dishwasher 60 times. Check your showerheads as well and if they are leaking, get them fixed pronto to help save water and lower your water bill. Leaky faucets, showerheads, and pipes are the most common cause of water waste in homes, and paying attention can help with your frugal living.

Watering Your Lawn and Garden

Though we all want a beautiful green lawn and a lush green garden, you should be paying attention to how you water them as well. Watering your lawn can be a huge waste of water. You also need to pay attention to drought notices, to any sort of city ordinance that might limit the amount of water that you can put on your lawn and pay attention to the time of day that you are watering as well. Watering in the evening is going to help your lawn hold onto moisture which means that you may not need as much water.

With your garden, if you live in a state where it is legal to collect rainwater, this may be a great option to help water your garden. Rainwater is rich in nutrients and is often better for your garden anyhow. If you can collect rainwater, do, it can help your plants grow without wasting a huge amount of water and encourage frugal living.

With any water conservation, you want to pay close attention to any regulations and any rules that have been set forth. Your city infrastructure is not going to put out water restrictions for fun. If there is a water restriction, make sure you follow it closely. It is not only going to be better for you, but also for your community and for the planet. Water is such a precious resource and it is our job to ensure that we use it responsibly and that we take the time to save water where we can. These are just a few ways that you can do that and that you can make a difference.