Small drops add up
While working on a “For Keeps” page for Homemakers magazine’s June issue about water conservation (For Keeps is the clip and save story inside the back cover), I decided to narrow the focus of the story to saving water outdoors. I found a few indoor water conservation tips that I couldn’t use in the magazine. Beyond remembering to turn off the tap while brushing my teeth, (I know, I know!) here are a few tips I thought I’d share:
- Install one of the new low-flow showerheads. They’re better at distributing water, so you feel nice and warm, and you can still get the shampoo out of your hair in spite of the lower water volume. (Am I the only one with that problem?)
- Replace aging toilets with low-flow models. Can you believe an old-school toilet uses as much as 12 litres of water per flush!? That’s about twice the water of new models.
- Is your water bill out of whack? You may have an underground leak. Call your municipal water department to investigate.
- Water used for cooking one food can be used to cook another. Steaming vegetables? That water can be used to cook pasta or boil potatoes (and will add a bit of vegetable flavour).
- Fix dripping taps right away. One drip per second adds up to over 3 gallons (12 litres) each day or 1,225 gallons (4,630 litres) each year, enough to fill more than twenty-two 55-gallon (210 litre) drums, just from one dripping faucet.
- Front-loading washing machines use up to 40 per cent less water than conventional top loaders, according to Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Star program. Beyond saving water, use the washer’s cold setting to save energy, too. At my place, we have a combination washer-dryer, or “combo” machine from LG. It’s great to have one box instead of two, and it’s very energy efficient.
- Running a full load of dishes in the dishwasher will use less water than handwashing. According to Natural Resources Canada, if you buy a model with a sanitary setting, you can set your hot-water heater temperature lower (saving you a lot in energy costs) – the dishwasher can heat water to sanitize your dishes as required.
I hope you find these tips handy.
Are you concerned about reducing your water use? Have you made any changes around your home to conserve water?
