Easy Peasy Water Conservation

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I have been reading a lot about the wide spread drought lately.  Oklahoma has been hit hard as have many other states, most notably, California.  Experts are predicting that California will be out of water in 12-24 months unless something is done. California is the number one food and agricultural producer in the United States.  If there is limited or no water our food costs will skyrocket.

I am no expert in what large scale system changes might be needed to fix the problem but I do know that if just one fourth of American citizens would save one gallon of water a day it would equate to approximately 75 million gallons of water a day.  There are approximately 38 million people in the state of California.  If just half would save one gallon of water a day that would equate to 19 million gallons of water a day.  That would definitely make an impact.

For those of us in drought stricken areas, one of the easiest ways to conserve water is to collect the water that is going down the drain while waiting for bath water or dishwater to get hot.  In our house it takes about 2 gallons of water before the shower has hot water.  I collect it in a jug or bucket and use it to water the garden.  It could also be used for flushing the toilet, mopping floors, rinsing the tub after it has been washed, or watering pets/livestock.

I realize my 2 gallons of water I save a day isn’t much but if everyone in a drought stricken region would do the same it would make a difference.  It doesn’t take much effort or time. You are just standing there waiting on the water to get hot anyway.

Anyone out there want to give this a try?  What other ways do you conserve water?

4 thoughts on “Easy Peasy Water Conservation”

  1. Twin Acres Homestead

    We aren’t in a drought area (Ontario, Canada) but we still like to store water. We collect rainwater from our roof and store it in three large rain barrels. We then use that to water the garden and animals.

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    1. pjinks Post author

      Thank you for the input. I don’t know how it is in Canada but in the United States it is actually illegal to collect rainwater in some places. If your state allows it but you live in town the city may require a permit. It is important to know the law in your area.

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  2. brookesbox

    I live in eastern Australia on a small farm-droughts are very common here. My house is also completely off grid in the water department. We are completely reliant on our rain water caught from the house and shed roof and stored in tanks. We live and water our veg patch off a total capacity of 125000L (2 large tanks, 2 smaller tanks). So far we have not got to the bottom of 1 big tank for our household use. Tips-quick showers-in summer get wet turn shower off while soaping and scrubbing then rinse. Turn off tap while brushing teeth, get a dual flush toilet, don’t wash your car as often, adjust water level on your washing machine according to how big the load is, reuse the grey water on your lawn (my backyard orchard thrives on our shower, sink, washing water). Pick drought tolerant plants save the water for the edibles. Get tanks if you can afford it even if its just for the garden. I’ll stop now but there’s heaps of easy things that aren’t a big sacrifice on your life and well being.

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