How to conserve water at home and in the workplace

Real Estate

As we all know from school, the water on the earth is in constant motion, the water cycle or hydrological cycle describes the movement of water above, below and below the surface of the earth. As the name ‘water cycle’ implies, this process has no beginning and no end and, while water can change state from liquid to vapor, to ice, depending on which part of the water cycle you are looking at, the amount of water on Earth remains constant over time. Unfortunately, there are now more and more people on the planet with whom to share this limited resource, and the only way to deal with the growing scarcity is to conserve as much water as possible by using what we have in the most responsible way.

Even when water seems abundant, it’s important that we all do our bit to conserve as much of it as possible, in addition to the obvious benefits of conserving water in an effort to reduce costs to you or your business, the widely publicized environmental concerns. They should also give us all a real incentive to conserve water. Many of the world’s people are facing severe water shortages, the BBC claims that “people in rich countries use 10 times more water than those of the poor.” and that “waterborne diseases already kill a child every eight seconds” [1]

Tap water conservation

The ordinary tap uses approximately 10 liters of water per minute, and leaky faucets can consume up to 90 liters of water per week.

The best tips for conserving tap water:

»Repair any leaky faucets with suitable ball valves and washers

»Don’t waste clean water on plants, put a bowl in your sink and use water from your sink or chilled cooking water

»Don’t run your tap water until it’s cold, use your refrigerator to chill the water, or buy a specialized under-sink water cooler or cooler.

»Put a container in the sink or use the plug to avoid cleaning clothes, etc., under an open tap

“Don’t overfill the kettle; boiling unnecessary amounts of water is wasteful and will increase your bills.

Water conservation in the bathroom

Flushing a toilet consumes up to 10 liters of water at a time and represents a third of the water used in the home. According to Cambridge Water “A standard shower uses 35 liters every 5 minutes … … A medium depth bath uses 80 liters … and” A ‘Power Shower’ uses 80 liters ” [2]

The best tips for conserving water in the bathroom:

»Take a shower instead of a bath, but don’t spend too much time in the shower.

»Don’t run water continuously when cleaning your teeth, maybe use a glass or cup

»Said a hippopotamus in your cistern. A hippo is a small plastic bag that holds water in the bag each time it is dumped. For more information, contact your local water authority (many offer these devices for free)

»Use a trash can instead of your toilet to get rid of those little pieces of trash that are often created in the bathroom.

Conserving water when using your washing machine

Washing machines use a large amount of water, in each cycle this can amount to between 70 and 120 liters of water at a time. A full load uses less water than 2 half loads.

Top tips for conserving water when using your washing machine:

»Make sure your machine has a full charge before turning it on, if you have to use your machine in half, use the half load button

»When buying a new machine, make sure it is as efficient as possible

Conserving water when using your dishwasher

A dishwasher uses up to 60 liters of water each time it is used.

Top tips for conserving water when using your dishwasher:

»Make sure your machine is fully charged before using

»Avoid pre-rinsing dishes and cutlery under a running tap, this is almost always unnecessary

Water conservation with proper maintenance

Maintaining your home or business can save you money and help conserve water.

Top tips for conserving water while maintaining your home or business premises:

»Maintain your plumbing systems and repair all leaks as soon as possible

»Insulate venerable pipes to prevent freezing and bursting in cold weather.

»Make sure you know where your stop tap is so you can isolate any leaks as soon as possible

Water conservation in the garden

As a nation of garden lovers, it is important that we all take care when caring for our gardens to conserve as much tap water as possible.

The best tips for conserving water in the garden:

»Install a water tank or similar to take advantage of all the rainwater that falls on your roof. Rainwater is a great natural resource that should be used whenever possible to meet some of the most basic garden requirements. Installing a water plug is the best way to take advantage of this natural asset, and it is a fact that rainwater is better for garden plants than tap water.

»Use kitchen waste water whenever possible to water your plants

»Water your garden at night or in the late afternoon when it is cooler to help reduce evaporation

»Do not use a garden sprinkler, these coins are wasteful and unnecessary

»Reduce the size of your lawn and buy plants that require less moisture

»Water your lawn only once a week; This will help conserve water, it is also better for lawns, as overwatering can encourage roots to seek the surface.

»Cover your garden with tree bark, coconut compost, etc. to avoid evaporation

Conserving water by limiting the use of hoses

There’s a reason UK households have faced hose bans in the past, hoses are an incredibly wasteful way to consume water.

Top tips for limiting flexible tubing:

»Clean driveways and driveways with a brush, not a hose

»Clean your vehicles with a bucket and sponge instead of using a hose, or limit the hose to remove suds after the vehicle has been cleaned.

»When just one hose is enough, you can avoid wasting water by putting a shut-off valve on your hose.

»Attach a water stop (see above) as an alternative to watering your garden with a hose

Water conservation at work

In addition to making sure to follow some of the above measures, especially those related to maintenance, faucets, hoses and sanitary facilities, companies can also conduct audits and observe some additional practices that will help them conserve water.

Top tips for conserving water at work:

One of the best ways for a company to reduce the amount of waste it produces is to conduct a waste audit; This audit will cover factors other than water waste. For more information on how to conduct a residue audit, visit the Business Link website or search for “residue audit” on Google.

»Paper production uses an incredible amount of water. Try to reduce the use of paper as much as possible.

»Eliminate automatic flushing devices in bathroom areas and replace them with water-saving devices

»Consult a plumber for advice on the possibility of pressure reducers and flow restrictors reducing water use.

»When replacing old equipment, make sure new models use water efficiently

»Research the ways your business can reuse cooling water for other purposes.

»Clean windows only as needed, not periodically

»Engage your staff by offering rewards and incentives and establish a reporting procedure

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