Water-Saving Tips: One of the most serious challenges facing the world today is water scarcity. In a country like India, where the population is growing rapidly and urbanization is expanding very fast, maintaining a clean and stable water supply has become a huge challenge. Apart from this, the monsoon pattern is also changing due to climate change, due to which situations like drought, flood and water crisis have become more common than before. Amidst all this, now the need is that we all should take initiative to save water from our homes. Governments are making rules for water conservation at their level, but it will prove effective only when the common people themselves work in this direction with awareness.
Now the question arises: “What can we common citizens do from our homes?” The answer is very simple—by changing some small habits and adopting some home remedies, we can save thousands of liters of water every month. This will not only protect our environment, but our home water bill will also come down. Let us know in detail about those 10 home remedies that will not bring much change in your lifestyle but will have a big impact on the environment.
1. Turning off the tap while brushing—small habit, big impact
Many of us inadvertently leave the tap open while brushing. Imagine if water keeps flowing for just 2 minutes every day; then a person can waste about 3,000 litres of water in a year. If there are four people in your family, then this number becomes four times. Have you ever wondered how many trees and plants could have been irrigated with this much water? So by changing this simple habit, we can save a lot of water every day. Just fill your mouth with water before brushing and close the tap. After brushing, open the tap only when needed.
2. Do not run the washing machine and dishwasher until they are full.
Washing machines and dishwashers have become common in today’s homes. These appliances make our work easier, but if not used properly, they can waste a lot of water. For example, a washing machine cycle consumes about 70-100 liters of water. If you run the machine to wash only 4-5 clothes, it is a huge loss. Similarly, the dishwasher also uses about 20-30 liters of water in one go. If you run these appliances only when they are fully filled, you can save hundreds of liters of water every month. This water can be used for your garden or drinking purposes in summer.
3. Install low-flow devices in showers and taps—a step towards smart water management.
Low-flow showerheads and tap aerators are nowadays technically designed in such a way that they limit the flow of water while maintaining the quality of use. By installing these devices, you can reduce the water consumption by almost half while bathing or washing your hands and face without any inconvenience. Not only this, if you use geyser water, then due to less flow, hot water is also saved, which also reduces the electricity or gas bill. In this way, this solution gives double savings—of water as well as energy.
4. Do not delay in repairing leaking taps and pipes.
Many times we ignore the leaking taps, showers or pipes in our homes. It seems that what difference will two to four drops make? But the truth is that a leaking tap at the rate of one drop per second can waste about 20 liters of water in a day. It can cause a waste of 600 liters in a whole month and about 7,000 liters of water in a year. This water could have been useful for those people who are still struggling for a bucket of water. Therefore, check the plumbing of your house from time to time and get it repaired immediately if needed.
5. Install a low-flush toilet or install a conversion kit in the old toilet.
The most water consumption in the bathroom is through the flush tank. In the old toilet system, about 10 to 12 liters of water were spent every time you flushed, whereas in today’s modern ‘dual flush’ toilets, this consumption has been reduced to 3-6 liters. If you cannot install a new toilet, then such conversion kits are also available in the market, which can be installed in the old tank to reduce the flush consumption. With this, you can save water used in the toilet several times every day.
6. Do not overwater the lawn or garden and install a rain sensor.
To maintain greenery in the houses, people water their garden or lawn daily, but many times this water is poured without need and at the wrong time of the day (such as in the afternoon), due to which half of it evaporates. Apart from this, if the sprinkler or pipe system remains on even on a rainy day, then it is a direct waste. To avoid this problem, you can install a ‘rain sensor’ in your irrigation system, which turns off the system as soon as it rains. Also, water the plants only 2-3 times a week and do it in the morning or evening so that the water remains in the soil for a longer time.
7. Use rainwater harvesting and rain barrels.
Rainwater flows directly on the ground and goes into the drains, but if we collect this water, it can be useful for our gardening, cleaning and other household uses. Install a rainwater harvesting system on the roof of your house or at least keep a rain barrel that can store rainwater. This also reduces the pressure on groundwater and also increases the availability of water. This method is especially effective in those areas where there is rain throughout the year. It rains only for a few months in the year.
8. Build a rain garden – work with nature
A rain garden is a place where rainwater collects from the roof, driveway or other hard surfaces. These gardens are planted with plants that can survive in high humidity and maintain soil moisture. This not only conserves water but also makes the surroundings cool and refreshing. If you have a small piece of land, you can build a rain garden on a small scale.
9. Monitor your water consumption through your water bill and conduct a water audit
Don’t look at your water bill as just a payment, but try to understand how much water you are using each month. If your consumption is higher than average, it may be a sign that water is being wasted somewhere. Many municipalities also offer household water audits, which evaluate every faucet and appliance in your home. This will help you understand where changes are needed.
10. Share ways to save water with others
Finally, it is as important to make others aware of saving water as it is to save water yourself. Tell your friends, neighbors and relatives how you are saving water at home. Share your experiences on social media. If we all make water conservation a social movement, a huge change can be brought about.
Conclusion: Every drop is precious
Water is the basis of life, and every drop of it is precious. The more water we save today, the more we will be able to give a safe life to our children tomorrow. Small changes, which may not seem important in the beginning, can save our earth from drought and water crisis in the future. So let us take a pledge from today itself – “We will save every drop of water, we will make life smile.”
