World Water Week | Water Conservation Tips for the Home
Water is essential to life on Earth, and plays a large role in the world's economy through agriculture, fishing, trade transport, industry, and homes. During World Water Week, we recognize the value of water conservation globally and explore everyday ways to aid in water-related challenges. Organized by Stockholm International Water Institute annually, World Water Week takes place August 23 to September 1. Conserving water usage in your home not only saves you money, but helps the environment by reducing the amount of water taken from rivers, bays and estuaries. Read on to discover simple and efficient water-saving tips for your home.
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01. Install a Low Flow Showerhead
Low flow showerheads can decrease your water consumption by 40% or more. This not only saves money on your monthly water bill, but cuts down on your energy usage as well because showers take energy to heat water. Using less energy also means you are reducing your CO2 emissions. Don’t worry about low water pressure – modern low flow showerheads use air flow and small apertures to ensure strong water pressure.
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02. Reuse Greywater
What is greywater? It’s the lightly used waste water from your bath, sink, washing machine, and other kitchen appliances. You can collect this extra water in a container and use it for various purposes - including washing your car, watering houseplants, and watering your lawn or garden.
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03. Harvest Water with a Rain Barrel
Rainwater is not only a cost-efficient method of conserving your water usage, it can also reduce stormwater runoff from your property – lessening the amount of pesticides, sediment, metals, and fertilizers going into surface water. Harvested rainwater can be used for watering plants and landscape irrigation, which works especially well because it is free from chemicals found in treated water.
04. Use Drip Irrigation in Your Home Garden
Drip irrigation is an efficient way to tend to your home garden - rather than watering from above, drip irrigation involves slowly delivering water to plants at ground level. This conserves water, prevents overwatering, and results in less weeding. Drip irrigation also helps with plant health by preventing diseases and mildew, and can be used in any type of garden.
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05. Use Your Dishwasher
While your sink uses 4 gallons of water every two minutes, your dishwasher used 4 gallons each cycle! To conserve your water usage, opt for running the dishwasher once a day and keep handwashing to a minimum.
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06. Upgrade to Water Efficient Appliances
Water efficient appliances such as washers can help you lower water and electricity use in your home. Efficient washers can reduce your water usage by up to 60%. Because less water equals less heating, they can also save you money on your electric bill.