8 simple ideas to reduce water usage today

Those of us with access to clean running water probably don’t give it a second thought. But when you do stop to think, the stats are frightening. Worldwide, 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. The 57% of the world’s population who have access to running water have a responsibility to use it wisely. Here’s how…

According to the UN, “Water is at the core of sustainable development and is critical for socio-economic development, energy and food production, healthy ecosystems and for human survival itself.”

Growing up in Australia, we were always aware of drought and the hardships related to water scarcity. While those of us living in the cities were sheltered from the full impact of drought, water restrictions were pretty tight there for a while. We were always looking for ways to reduce water usage. I remember my mum saving the water from our showers to use on the garden, and even saving water from washing veggies or cooking pasta to reuse in some way. This taught us to treasure water and treat it like the precious commodity it is, which is an approach I still practise today.

Most countries in Asia have a similar story now too. Bali is currently facing a water crisis, and Chennai had no rain for 193 days in 2019.  Regardless of where you are in the world, there has never been a more important time for all of us to be aware of saving water.

Here are 8 simple ideas to reduce water usage today:

Don’t be a drip. Check your taps for leaks.

Photo by Lisa Moyneur on Unsplash

Bathroom basics

• Keep showers short, and even better use a water-saving shower head.

• Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth, or shaving, rather than leaving it running.

• For the toilet, use the half flush (or better still, follow the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow…” approach).

Don’t be a drip

Check for drips in all your taps/faucets, including in your garden. Dripping taps can create as much as 90 litres of waste per month most common cause of water wastage is dripping taps!

Look to your laundry

Always use the short or eco setting on your washing machine. Save up your dirty clothes and only wash when you need to. Always use your machine on a full load.

Is your kitchen the culprit?

Use your dishwasher, if you have one – they really do save water! But only on a full load of course, and use the eco setting if it has one.

If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can save water by filling the sink with water before washing, rather than letting the tap run while you wash.

Additionally, consider how you can save and reuse water from your kitchen. Using a bowl to wash your vegetables, means you can repurpose the water for your pot plants afterwards. Reuse pasta water for your garden. It’s high in nutrients so will help them thrive.

Use greywater for watering your garden.

Photo by Elizabeth Explores on Unsplash

Greywater is great

Greywater is gently used water from your bathroom sink, shower, baths and washing machines. See how you can capture your greywater from showers and use it for watering your garden. If you don’t have the time or funds to set this up mechanically, then a bucket in the bottom of your shower will do the trick!

Be good to your garden

If you live in a warm climate, only water in the evening, or first thing in the morning, when the ground is cooler. That way it will absorb into the soil better.

Car wash wisely

While it may seem counter-intuitive, commercial carwash may be the most eco-friendly option. For other ideas and tips on washing your car in the most eco-friendly way, check out this article.

Adopt a conscious approach

In our busy lives, it’s easy to lose sight of saving water and running on auto-pilot with our water usage. Each time you turn on the tap, do so consciously. Whether it’s brushing your teeth, or watering the garden, remember that every drop counts.

The world’s water crisis… explained is an eye-opening documentary on Netflix, and it might just change the way you think about water usage.

Think you’re a super water saver? Take this quick quiz!

What’s your best tip on reducing water usage? Share it with us in the comments!