Post a Comment        E-mail To A Friend        Join The List

10 Simple Ways To Conserve Water

by Rebecca Bauer
10/16/2007

Georgia is still suffering from a drought and according to weather predictions, the conditions will only worsen with a warm and dry winter ahead. Clarke County is experiencing much of the negative effects from the drought, but there are ways that people can conserve water, help the environment and save money at the same time.

Even as students, there are simple habits you can employ to help conserve water. These simple steps, culled from the Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities website and the Water Use It Wisely website, can be implemented by anyone for an immediate reduction in water waste.

1. Check for leaks.

This is one of the easiest and most effective water conservation tips. Do a thorough check around your house and water irrigation system for any possible problems. Be on the lookout for the unheard leaks. You could be losing 10 percent or more of water due to faulty water appliances.

There is an easy trick to test for a leaky toilet. Drop a little bit of food coloring into the tank of your toilet. If any color is present in the water of your toilet bowl, then you have a leak. Fixing this problem could help retain nearly 600 gallons of water a month.

2. Check the age of your toilet.

The easiest way to check the installation date of your toilet is to lift up the lid and look at the far end of the toilet for all of the information. If your toilet was built before 1992, it is probable that your water flush is not the most resourceful. If this is the case, putting in a new toilet could save you money and the environment with every flush you make.

3. Check your washing machine.

Having an energy and water efficient washing machine can help you save with each load. To check for the efficiency on your current washer you can refer to the Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities Department website.

4. Plan your landscaping in accordance to your climate.

If you make any changes to your current yards and gardens, check for plants that are compatible with the climate of your area. You can save money on watering if you have plants that are more suitable to your surroundings.

5. Be careful when watering your plants.

Continue to follow the water regulations of your area, but also be aware of when your plants actually require water. Many times people water their plants when they do not need to be fed. If you water using a hose, make sure you keep track of the amount of time you are watering. If you have an irrigation watering system, be sure the settings and timer are accurate and can detect rain.

Most landscape watering is currently prohibited in Athens-Clarke County due to the drought, along with a variety of other activities like washing down driveways and washing cars. For more information, read the full ordinance.

Some of these tips may seem overwhelming and costly to college students. Let’s face it, upgrading to water efficient household appliances is not how most students want to spend their extra cash. However, there are some other small, yet effective changes we can make to conserve our water consumption.

6. Shutting off the water is an easy way to conserve up to four gallons of water per minute while washing your face and brushing your teeth.

7. Use the same drinking cup throughout the day. This will reduce the amount of dishes you have, and will reduce your number of dishwashing cycles.

8. Turn off the water while hand-washing your dishes. Keep one side of the sink full with soapy water for washing, and keep the other side full with clean water to rinse with.

9. Make an effort to take a shorter shower. Nearly 1,000 gallons of water is conserved each month with a five minute or less shower. Even if you cannot shower in less than five minutes, try to shave off a couple of minutes of your regular shower time. Even the smallest reduction will help.

10. Test the effectiveness of your showerhead. If one-gallon of water fills up in less than 20 seconds then you should put in a new one.

There are a lot more steps you can take to save water on the Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities website and the Water Use It Wisely website. Together we may not be able to change the drought, but we can try to change the amount of water carelessly wasted.

Name
Email
URL
Body
Are you human?