How to Save Water from Home? And why it is important

• Less than about 3% of all the water on earth is actually usable, fresh and drinkable. Only about 1.2% of water is safe for human consumption.
• Only in the USA, there’s 322 billion gallons of water used for food and energy production. 
• The average person in America, uses about 82 gallons of water a day on average, counting liters of drinkable water that are flushed down the toilet.
• Almost two thirds of the world’s population experience severe water scarcity for at least one month per year.
• By 2040, it is estimated that 1 in 4 children worldwide will live in areas of extreme high water stress. 
• And by 2050, the usage of water in daily activities and production is expected to rise by 55%.

This means that every year there is less water, for more people. A rapidly growing population worldwide, that consumes more and more water; a delicate resource known to be scarce. 

This is why it’s imperative to start preserving water every way that it can be.

1. Repurpose recycled water for outdoor use

One of the most common ways to wrongly use fresh water is in watering yards, gardens and other plants. About 30 to 60% of domestic drinking water is wasted everyday in watering, and even over-watering yards that don’t need it, or in misdirected sprinklers with water that end up in sidewalks and driveways.

For outdoor watering, reused water should be prioritized. The process of water recycling, also known as water reclamation, takes used water from various sources to repurpose it. And one of the best ways to save water, is to store rainwater in barrels, to be reserved for outdoors use.

2. Install low flush and/or water sensitive house appliances.

Another way we waste fresh water is with house appliances that weren’t designed for a sustainable use; such as toilets, faucets, showerheads, washing machines, dishwashers, and many others. 

Whenever possible, it should be prioritized to install low flush appliances like toilets, and water sensitive faucets and showerheads; that both save water and use about 50% less of the usual amount of water. 

And when using household appliances like dishwashers or washing machines, that not always can be replaced or changed to be sustainable, make sure to only use them when there’s a full load, so water’s not wasted on washing too few items.

3. Approach less consumerist lifestyle

One of the ways you can be consuming too much water is through indirect ways, such as the quantity and sources of products that you consume. Most of your everyday items require a fair amount of water to be produced, from the clothes you wear to the food you eat. 

To know your real water footprint you can search online, where you’ll find several water footprint calculators to measure the real quantity of water your lifestyle overall consumes. By knowing the areas of your life that indirectly consume more water, you’ll be able to make adjustments to live a less consumerist lifestyle to reduce your water use.