Water Conservation Tips to Save Money and Green Daily Living

 

Would you like to save money on your water bill, as well as GREEN daily living? 

I am concerned about the world's diminishing supply of safe, affordable water, and the adverse effects  water pollution and misuse has on all living things. 

That's why I’ve been studying simple, economical ways to reduce water consumption, and speak out about why it's key to conserve this precious natural resource right now! 

If we do our share and act eco-smart today, we can influence the quality of life on the planet for generations to come.

I was disheartened to read a report posted by UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO). 

It indicates 1 in 3 people on our planet don’t have safe drinking water and more than half of the world population has no access to water necessary for adequate sanitation services.

In light of this news, I encourage you to take a few moments to read easy, inexpensive water conservation ideas and tips that can help all of us live more sustainably.

Don't underestimate your power and take into account small, budget-sized actions that can prevent or correct water waste. 

Consider this. Water is an important element in food production. It is essential for crop irrigation, as well as to provide drinking water for humans and all living things.

Water is necessary for industries including oil, gas, and car manufacturing, and plastic and chemical production.

When companies or individuals don't dispose of waste products properly, or radioactive material and other contaminants accidentally or uncaringly land in landfills and groundwater, we all face the consequences. 

If pesticides are used in gardening or farming on crops or for weed control, those hazardous chemicals can also seep into underground soil and eventually enter reservoirs and drinking water.

If we don't  clean this vicious cycle up, we can expect more and more illness, starvation and water deprivation, poverty, wars, and death. 

Keep on Reading to Find Hope

Money-Saving Water Usage Tips to Green Daily Living

1. Temperatures usually climb as we go from spring to summer, and we need something to quench thirst and rehydrate our bodies. 

Make your beverage of choice tap water, and it will cost less than a penny per  glass. 

If you prefer, drink tap water that has been filtered. There are many low cost water filtration methods so do some footwork and find one that fits into your budget. 

Water does a terrific job of restoring fluids lost though sweating, breathing, metabolism, and elimination. 

This spring and onward, keep a pitcher of fresh water in the refrigerator. This simple conservation measure allows you to have water handy, and avoids having to run water down the drain, each time you want a cool drink.

2. Bottled water generally is no cleaner, safer, or healthier than tap water or filtered tap water. 

The federal government is more rigorous and does more frequent safety testing and monitoring of municipal drinking water than bottled water. 

For information about rating water quality read Guide to Safe Tap Water and Water Filters.

3. Reach for a reusable stainless steel or glass water bottle, instead of a one-use plastic bottle or even a reusable plastic one. Nix plastic straws as well. Be a power of example for your family as well.

Our landfills overflow with plastics that don't biodegrade. Plastic particles that are found in every plastic item are dumped legally or illegally. Plastic elements can seep into the ground and be carried into our water supply. 

A new study reported online by NPR indicates that even if plastic water bottles, plastic bags, and the like don't contain BPA, most plastic products release estrogenic chemicals.

When these particles are ingested by humans, animals, or sea creatures or plastic gets entangled with seals, fish, and turtles it can cause serious health and safety issues, and sometimes death. See more from the Smithsonian website here.

Another study traced plastic particles all the way into human tissue. See a report  from the American Chemical Society now and read this one too to better understand why this is a looming health hazard.

Here in the U.S. the plastic bottle industry meets America’s demand for bottled water by using more than 17 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year. 

That figure doesn't include the cost of oil needed for bringing those bottles to market and the dollars spent on transportation to get plastic bottles into your home or office. 

When we drink eight glasses of water a day from the tap, it costs about 49 cents per year; that same amount of bottled water is about $1,400.

4. Monitor your water bill monthly. Watch for sudden spikes in use, which may indicate an undetected leak. If you suspect a leak, find it and fix it right away.

Did you know a leaky shower that drips 10 drips per minute wastes 500 gallons per year?

Fix the leak and install a water saving shower head. Cut the time you spend in the shower by a minute a day, until you have a routine to clean yourself without using excess water.  

A faucet that leaks at the rate of one drop per second, can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year.

Replace worn out toilet parts with water-saving ones and fix toilet leaks. 

If you can afford it, replace current toilet fixtures with low flow ones to save up to 13,000 gallons of water per year. 

When you compare the price of water to the cost of installing a new energy efficient toilet you'll understand what a big savings low-flow toilets can be.

5. An easy way to assure your home doesn't have any hidden leaks is to record the number on the water meter during a time when water isn't being used. Recheck in two hours, and if the meter has changed out of proportion to water usage, you've got a leak. 

Do your own detective work or call in a plumber to search for you.

6. Brush your teeth mindfully to prevent dental problems, and save water as well. See dental hygiene tips at How to conserve water while brushing your teeth.

7. Rethink how often you use your dishwasher. You may not know it, but even though dishwashing has the rep for being more ec0-friendly than hand washing dishes, the savings in water doesn't hold true if you run only partial loads or rinse the dishes by hand before putting them in the dishwasher. 

8. If you hand wash, it's still possible to conserve. Simply fill one basin with soapy water to wash, and a second basin with clear water to rinse.

9. Keep the cost of cleaning clothes down by considering this: ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers use about 25% less energy and 33% less water than regular washing machines. To learn more about savings see this.

10. Take water conservation into your garden. Find ways to cut back on water usage. One idea is to set up a Xeriscape landscape plan. This is a type of garden design requiring little of no irrigation or maintenance. Plant native, drought resistant plants to hold soil in place, offer shade, and not be water guzzlers. 

11. Water during morning or evening hours. Consider saving for a drip irrigation system, especially if you live in an area that's experiencing drought conditions. Read The Benefits of Drip Irrigation.

12. Keep an eye on state, national, and global environmental policy. Get vocal and participate in letter writing campaigns, phone calls, rallies, and voting. Join together in groups such as 350.org, Greenpeace, and World vision clean water campaign. 

Help make the climate change movement seen, heard, and bigger than the climate crisis.

There are many ways to be proactive. Please read more about this topic on my blog, online, in the press, and in books.  

Donate to those civic, religious, or social action groups who make this issue a priority. 

Screen films (streaming on Netflix) including "Brave Blue World." This documentary explores solutions to the global water crisis. 

View the film, "I am Greta," that is now streaming on Hulu. Get inspired as you see how one teenager is making a BIG difference. The trailer is here.

Eat less meat and more veggies and fruit. See reasons why going plant-based conserves water and is good for health here.

Support candidates that have a sound  policy of environmental protection. If there are few, consider going into politics yourself.

Please let us know, in the comments section below, which things you'll be tweaking to conserve more water. 

Which new ideas have inspired you?

If you already do everything I mention or more, please let me know that too.

No links in comments please, as they won't be published that way.

Celebrate Earth Day each day of the year, and please let us know any additional eco-friendly tips that have saved money and greened daily living.

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