Cris
Easy Ways to Conserve Water
Living off the grid is not easy when it comes to getting enough water, so having easy ways to conserve water is key. Not everyone will be lucky enough to have a year-round stream close by, or a well that will pump enough to run your homestead with off grid power.
You can harvest rainwater in some places, but often it is not enough to last freely throughout the year. In many arid environments, conservation is the key to having enough water to last through the growing season for you, your garden, and your livestock.
There are many ways you can conserve the water you do have to make it last. waste not, want not is how the saying goes.
25 Ways to Conserve Water
1) Check for Leaks
This seems obvious, but even a small slow drip could cost you 20 gallons a day in wasted water. Check all of your faucets and pipe connections to make sure you are not losing this valuable resource without an opportunity to capture it. Place a cup or bucket under a dripping faucet to gather those drops and use them elsewhere so they don’t just go down the drain. This will be effective until you are able to fix the faucet anyway.
2) Check your Meter
If you have a water meter you should regularly check it to make sure it does not leak. Simply read the meter, writ down the numbers and don’t use water for a few hours. This will easily work if you are taking the family on a day trip away from the house. Go back and check to make sure the numbers match what you wrote down before using water again.
3) Install Water Saving Toilet
Try using a composting toilet for most of your business, these are water free! A typical toilet uses 5 to 7 gallons in each flush while a low flow toilet uses only 1.5 gallons. This will save in the long run and is better than the other alternatives. Have you heard that if it’s yellow to let it mellow? Also, going number one in the shower is known to save at least one flush a day, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you recycle grey water.
4) Install Low-Flow Shower heads
Low flow shower heads use about 2.5 gallons less each minute than regular shower heads. This can add up to a ton of water savings if you are known to take long showers.
5) Take Shorter Showers
To be used with those low flow shower heads is to take shorter showers. Try to get in and out in under five minutes! It is doable if you use a 2-in1 type shampoo. You can get in, get wet and turn the water off to scrub too. This saves the amount of time the water is actually running to conserve more of it.
6) Turn Water Off While Brushing
This is likely the first water conservation tip we all learned. Instead of using running water, fill a glass to brush with. Dip your brush in and then apply your toothpaste. Brush for your two suggested minutes and then rinse with the water in the cup. No wasted water going down the drain for those two minutes of brushing, and you got to rinse too!
7) Insulate Water Pipes
Insulating your hot water pipes will keep the water hot in them longer so you don’t have to run it as long waiting for it to heat up. This can really add up when it comes to water loss in the shower.
8) Run Full loads
By making sure your dishwasher and clothes washer are full before you run them, you will save water. It takes the same amount of water to wash half a load as it does to wash a full load. Making sure they are full is the most efficient way to use them, and you will run fewer loads.
9) Don’t Pre-Rinse
If you do use a dishwasher, don’t pre-rinse your dishes. Take advantage of your machine’s capabilities in cleaning off those food bits that are stuck on. This saves water by not running the tap was you rinse.
10) Check your settings
Some settings on your washing machine and dishwasher use more water than others. Look for the settings that say they use less water and chose them instead. The Permanent-press cycle used up to 5 more gallons than a regular wash setting.
11) Don’t leave the tap on
Dishwashers have gotten better, but they still use a ton of water. If you are off grid, you likely don’t have one, or if you do, you don’t use it. Hand washing dishes is more economical and uses less water. Fill the sink or a basin with water rather than letting the tap run for the best conservation efforts.
12) Use Mulch
Placing mulch around plants and trees helps prevent evaporation. The wood bits soak up the water and will release it slowly into the soil and keep it where you need it for your plants. By holding water well, it also keeps you from watering as often.
13) Use a timer
If you are keeping a lawn, try using a timer to run your sprinklers. This way you can set it to only water when your plants need it and regulate for how long they get water.
14) Position your Sprinklers
Make sure when using sprinklers to not water paved surfaces. There is no point in letting the water run down the driveway and not help you in any way with your water needs. Position your sprinklers to be super-efficient and only sprinkle where you need them to.
15) Choose when to water
If you know it will be either windy or rainy, don’t water. Wind will cause your resource to evaporate faster. No use in using your reserves when mother nature is giving it to you for a day. Instead, make sure you can harvest some extra while it’s coming out of the sky.
16) Water early
Before sunup is a great time to water. This allows water to soak into the ground around your plants before it gets hot, and it evaporates. This alone reduces the time it takes to water your garden by being efficient in the amount given and making sure it goes where it needs to be. You definitely don’t need it going back up into the air.
17) Use a bowl
When you harvest your garden, rinse the fruits and vegetables in a bowl rather than under a running tap. This saves water by using as little as possible and you can pour it back onto the plants when you are done!
18) Recycle used water
Do you have a fishbowl? Pour that water on your garden for a nutrient boost. Try to use grey water to water a garden as well. These are two great ways to use water more than once.
19) Repurpose Rainwater
This is commonly known as rainwater harvesting. If it is legal in your state, collect it to water your garden with. You can filter it for drinking water and showers too. Make sure you can set up a big enough tank to keep your water running all year long.
20) Soak pots and pans
Instead of scraping these under running water, try soaking them and washing them after the food has released. You are making a small basin of dish water and letting it do double duty by soaking the food off of your pans.
21) Find the main shut off
Knowing where the main shut off is a great way to protect your home in case a major leak spring up. Make sure others know where this is as well so that water can be shut off fast in an emergency.
22) Don’t use water toys
Those fun sprinklers? Sure, they are cute, but at what cost? A pool seems like a ton of water, but you fill it once, and keep it clean so you can use the water for an extended period of time. When the hot season is over, you can use at least some of it for garden and lawn watering as you winterize the pool.
23) Winterize hose bibs
Unhook the hoses and cover those spigots. This will prevent water from freezing in your pipes causing a costly leak when spring returns.
24) Insulate Pipes for winter
Not only should you insulate your hot water pipes, but definitely your incoming main water pipes too. This will prevent them from freezing under your house potentially causing a disastrous leak when they thaw.
25) Reuse towels
Using kitchen and bath towels more than once conserves water by not running the washing machine as often. It is OK to use your towel for a week between washings as long as you didn’t get super dirty while working the farm.
Many More Ways to Conserve
There are literally hundreds of ways to conserve water, but these suggestions will go a long way. Whether you are trying to lower your monthly bill or get the most use out of a valuable resource on your homestead, cutting usage goes a long way.