Energy & Technology
Explaining water conservation and retention
The reduction of waste is one of the largest and most important principals of the green movement. One of the largest factors involved in reducing waste is addressing the water waste issue. Simply put, we need to find ways to use less water or reuse greywater in order to protect this valuable resource. Below are some valuable examples of water waste reduction strategies.
The easiest way to reduce your water consumption is to use less to begin with. Here are a few of the more creative strategies you can implement at home.
- Install a low-flow shower head - You can cut water consumption by up to 50% and with some of the better ones, you wont even notice a difference. Some shower heads now have a shut off valve where you can temporarily interrupt the flow while you shampoo or condition and it wont effect your water temperature.
- Invest in a tankless water heater - These water heaters take seconds to bring water to temperature and they never run out of how water. This eliminates wasting water while you run it and wait for it to heat up, plus you also save lots of energy by not keeping water hot when you don’t need it.
- Be strategic about watering your lawn - Water in the morning and in the evening when less evaporation will occur. Also, make sure you aren't watering your sidewalk or driveway.
- Keep water in the refrigerator - this way you don't have to run the water while waiting for it to cool off.
Every year, too much water is sent to expensive to operate centralized water treatment plants, when it could have easily been utilized right on your own property. Greywater is water that is in between the nasty stuff flushed down the toilet and the water that you drink from your Brita. It is water that has been used for dishwashing, washing machines or rainwater that was collected. This water can be effectively reused for many purposes, including subsurface lawn irrigation, to flush toilets, or to wash cars.
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