Water plays a very important role in our daily life. Showering, washing dishes, washing clothes, watering flowers – for all this we need water every day. And it still gushes out of your taps. Often you don’t even think about it. But how much water do you use? Do you use water consciously? How to avoid waste on a daily basis? To answer the question “How can I save water on a daily basis?” “, here are a few tips. It is generally sufficient to take very simple measures to reduce water consumption. A lot of it is about changing your own behavior. For instance :
Don’t wash your clothes until you have plenty of them to clean together
Starting a washing machine half full is only economical if you have the latest appliance with a load sensing system. A lightly filled machine consumes proportionally more than a well filled machine.
Use “eco” programs
On modern dishwashers, for example, there are programs that save water. These are particularly useful if the dishes are only lightly soiled. The only downside: they take a bit longer than normal washes.
Shower or bath?
Saving water starts with this crucial question. Taking a bath uses about 150 liters of water, while a shower uses only about 35 liters. If you make this comparison, you will know that you can save more water with the shower. Use small, economical regulators called aerators or aerators. A flow regulator costs around five to eight euros at the hardware store. Often it is already included in the purchase. If you want to save water, you should not do without this little helper. Because once attached to the shower head or sink, these aerators (or aerators) save up to 50% of tap water consumption. You can also simply invest in a timer or an hourglass to leave in your bathroom for when you take a shower: don’t go over 5 minutes!
Reduce toilet water consumption
Modern tanks already have a stop button. If you don’t have it and want to save water, you can modernize yours for ten euros. This cuts your water consumption by about half. With the shower and the bath, it is the most important quantity of water consumed on a daily basis. With an average of five liters per flush and four daily flushes, toilet water consumption is high. You can decrease it by filling your tank in such a way as to decrease its capacity. You can place full plastic bottles (without their labels) or empty jars without lids that will fill with water and retain it during evacuation. Finally, if you are not equipped, you can opt for a dual flow mechanism which offers you the choice between a single flush of 3-litre capacity or a double flush of 6-litre capacity.
Replace leaky faucets immediately
About 2,000 liters per year per household are wasted because the tap is leaking. Whether it’s a simple drip, or even a trickle of water, this is a sum considerably larger than that required to purchase a new joint. Sometimes leaks go unnoticed. Tonight, when you go to bed, read the number on your water meter. Tomorrow morning when you wake up, do the same, if the number has increased and no one has consumed water during the night, there is a leak in your home. It often happens that your toilet flush is the source of a leak.
Always close the tap between two close uses
For example, if you wash your hands or brush your teeth, it is advisable to turn off the tap from time to time. This small change in behavior can save you a lot of water. And do good for the planet.
Water consumption in the garden can also be very expensive
The basic rule for the garden could be a consumption of about 20 liters per square meter per week. If you have a large garden, you should consider an alternative irrigation system. A well would really be ideal. You can also collect rainwater by leaving a large container exposed to the weather. To save water in your own garden, it is worth watering the plants in the morning and evening. Because then they need less water. If the solar radiation is stronger, the plants also need more water.
Measure your water flow to know if your faucets and showerheads are energy hungry or not.
Use a “flowmeter” for this, it is a plastic accessory that you put on your tap or your shower head, which you fill by putting the tap and shower head at maximum flow for a given period of time. This gives you a flow rate per minute, which allows you to know where you stand in terms of energy.
The production of paper requires an incredible consumption of water
Of course, this does not concern your daily water consumption. Be aware, however, that the paper bleaching process is extremely water-intensive. Replace bleached paper with unbleached recycled paper.