Water Conservation 101: A Guide For Consumers

by Tom Tobin

Fresh water is one of Earth’s precious finite resources. To safeguard the dwindling supply, we all need to take steps in our daily lives to limit water waste. From taking shorter showers to turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth, there are numerous approaches consumers can take to improve water efficiency around the house. Below, we’ll explore a few water conservation habits to help reduce water usage at home.

Update Your Fixtures

As mentioned above, limiting the time you’re in the shower is a great way to reduce water waste. Along the same lines is installing a low-flow shower head. Designed to restrict water flow while still providing sufficient showering, this device can go a long way in cutting down on unnecessary water usage. The same goes for a low-flow toilet or one with an ultra-low flush. These fixtures are affordable conservation methods as they use less water per flush yet are just as effective as older models. 

Outside of the bathroom, you could consider water-efficient appliances, such as dishwashers and clothes washing machines. While the initial cost may be high, investing in a modern, ENERGY STAR efficient model can drastically reduce usage and decrease home utility bills, therefore, helping to recoup the cost.

Maintain Your Home

Little leaks add up to a lot of waste. Staying ahead of them means properly maintaining the plumbing system and monitoring your water bill for any changes. That includes upkeep for the house’s interior and exterior. Cracked hoses and leaky spigots caused by weathering or general wear and tear can become problematic over time. If a problem is found, be sure to repair it without delay. 

Reevaluate Your Outdoor Space

Depending on where you live, a lush, green lawn may be a serious drain on resources. Gardening and other landscaping features might need to be reconsidered as well when it comes to limiting waste. A few alternatives to consider instead include putting in drought-resistant plants, opting for rock-based landscaping or even reducing the size of your lawn. 

When it comes time to water, go sparingly. You should adjust the sprinkler system to optimize the watering area so you’re not letting it hit the driveway or sidewalk. You could also set up drip irrigation for your plants or reuse water from the kitchen, downspouts or other noncontaminated sources.

Make a Difference Outside of Your Home

Want to make an impact in your community? One way is to speak with your municipal government about investing in innovative utility-monitoring technology, such as municipal utility billing software. Designed to streamline operations, this software helps organizations within the government, municipals, and public sectors enhance their processes and boost conservation efforts at the same time.

Rethink How You Eat

Lastly, a challenging yet very constructive recommendation is to change your eating habits. Consuming animal products significantly increases a person’s “water footprint” because a lot goes into producing animal-based goods such as eggs, milk, and meat. Of course, making the switch to a vegan lifestyle is not always feasible. Instead, you could incorporate vegetarian or vegan meals throughout the week. Other effective approaches include shrinking food portion sizes and only buying what you need to help eliminate food waste in your home. 

These are just some of the water-saving measures you can do to help protect the health of the planet while also lowering your utility bills. If you want to learn more about water conservation, please see the accompanying resource for further information.

Author bio: Tom Tobin is the President of Diversified Technology. Tobin has more than 30 years of experience serving municipalities and municipal utilities. After representing Diversified Billing’s predecessor software for 15 years, he bought the rights to the software and founded Diversified Technology in 2007. For the last 15 years, he has grown the business to serve more than 350 clients that use the software to generate more than 7 million utility bills annually.