11 Simple Ways To Practice Water Conservation At Home

While we live in an area of the world where water is so readily available to us whenever we need it, that doesn’t mean that we should be wasteful with it. We need to be good stewards of the planet and practice water conservation at home. Water is a valuable resource and should be used wisely. Plus, using water also uses energy, which contributes to our carbon footprint. 

Luckily, water conservation at home actually doesn’t require much effort on our part. There are a few simple changes that we can make and products we can get that help us conserve water without impacting our lives. 

Check out these 11 simple ways to practice water conservation at home: 

Install Aerators 

Water aerators are super easy to install and are very inexpensive. They actually reduce the amount of water that you use by up to 50%. The cool thing about aerators is that even though it’s reducing the amount of water used, they can also increase the pressure because they add air to the flow of water. 

Get Low-Flow Toilets

Toilets use a LOT of water. A standard toilet can use anywhere from 6-14 litres of water per FLUSH. In contrast, low-flow toilets usually use 3-4 litres of water per flush. By swapping your current toilets out for low-flow systems you’ll be cutting that water usage by half! 

Install Water Diverters 

If you’re not quite ready to switch over your toilets to low-flow you could install a Toilet Fill Cycle Diverter. Every time you flush the toilet water fills the bowl as well as the holding tank. The diverter is easy to install and when you flush the toilet, it diverts some of the water that would normally go into the bowl and fills the holding tank instead. This reduces the amount of water inside the bowl so that you’re using less water overall, but it doesn’t actually change the power of the flush. 

Change Your Shower Heads 

Similar to how aerators work, WaterSense showerheads incorporate air into the water flow so that you’ll have the same (or in many cases even BETTER) water pressure as a regular shower head while using significantly less water. These showerheads are quick and simple to install. 

Check For Leaks

Leaks are not only bad for your house (water does damage that affects your home and health), but it also wastes water and cost you money. Slow drips can waste up to 75 litres of water in a single day. Twice a year check your sinks, toilets, tubs, showers, hot water tank, furnace humidifier, washing machine, sump pump, water softener, water filtration systems, water dispensers in your fridge, dishwasher, boiler, pool or hot tub, irrigation system, and outdoor hose. 

Plant Drought Tolerant Plants 

If you have a garden, make sure that you’re planting native, drought-tolerant plants which are more sustainable, require less water, and can even help to prevent water buildup on your property. 

Get A Rain Barrel

Rain barrels are fantastic for water conservation. They’re installed under your downspouts and collect water as it rains. You can then use that water later on to water your garden, lawn, indoor plants, washing your car, and washing your bike. 

Turn Off The Water

If you’re used to letting the water run while you brush your teeth or shave, start getting into the habit of turning off the water until it’s time to rinse. If water is just falling down the drain freely then the taps should be turned off. 

Wait For Full Loads 

When doing laundry or running the dishwasher, wait until you have enough for a full load. That way you’re not wasting large amounts of water to clean just a few items. 

Keep Water In The Fridge

Do you find yourself with the water running while you’re waiting for it to get cold enough to drink? Start getting in the habit of filling up water bottles and always keeping a cold one in the fridge. 

Soak Your Lawn

When you do need to water your lawn, make sure to give it a good soaking so that the water can run down deep into the roots. If you don’t soak it, water can evaporate without actually helping, which means you’ll have to water it again soon anyways and will have just wasted the water.