Sipping my morning long black I flip through BBC to catch up on some world news for the first time in months, when a certain article catches my eye – “Cape Town Water Crisis, My Wife Doesn’t Shower Anymore”. Intriguing, alluring, hell I’ll see what this is all about.
By the end, I was shocked.
“A severe drought has forced the city’s municipality to limit water consumption to 50 litres per person per day in an effort to delay what has become known as Day Zero, which has been set for 12 April, when the water supply will be shut.
It isn’t easy to reduce to just 50 litres a day per person: South Africa’s WaterWise notes a typical shower uses 15 litres per minute, while a standard toilet consumes 15 litres per flush.”
Read Full Article Here
Since this article has been published Cape Town’s residents have been making every effort possible to conserve and save their beloved water source. Guess what? It’s working, Day Zero has since been pushed back to July 9th, according to New York Times.
As our population rises clean, safe water sources become more scarce. When is the best time to start thinking about water conservation? The simple answer is when water is in abundance for all living beings. Unfortunately, that is not the case in most Westernized areas around the world. Seen directly in the water crisis in Cape Town, South Africa where this Summer all private homes could have their water taps turned off due to severe draught and lack of sufficient water supply.
Conserving water isn’t just good for the environment, it’s also good for your pocket book. Below you’ll find 13 simple ways you can start conserving water around your home TODAY!
1 Turn off the Taps
While brushing your teeth and washing your hands turn off the tap until you need to rinse. If you hand wash dishes fill the sink instead of leaving the water running.
2Skip a shower
It’s actually good for your body to use your natural oils. Skip a shower every other day, and if you must shower every day cut them short.
3Collect rainwater – install a rain barrel
Use of a rain barrel will change your life and your water bill. Rain water can be used for things like guilt free of watering plants, washing the dog, cleaning your car, and washing windows.
Extra tip – You can also reuse water for cooking pasta to water your plants once it’s cooled.
4Choose efficient fixtures
Shower head, toilet, faucets, dishwasher, washing machine. Efficient appliances can cost a bit more up front but will save you in the future, add value to your home and save the environment.
5Only run appliances when full
Steer away from running your dishwasher or washing machine unless you have a full load. Also, try air drying your clothes when possible to on save energy.
6Fix your leaks
Check your water bill monthly to see how much water you’re loosing through pesky leaks. It could be anything from your faucets to the garden hose. Getting into this practice isn’t only good for water conservation but will save you money!
7Use a watering can to water the garden
Loads of water is wasted through using a garden hose to water the garden. Also try watering in early morning and late afternoon to minimize evaporation.
Extra tip – mulching your garden will help hold in moisture, reducing evaporation and the frequency of watering.
8Keep a jug of tap water in fridge
By keeping a cold jug of water in the fridge you not only save from running the tap every time you need a cold glass, but you’ll always have access to cold water! In addition, instead of buying plastic water bottles stock up on reusable ones you can fill and have on hand.
9Shrink your yard
By installing path stones, a fire pit, or a patio you not only add value and landscape to your home but you reduce the amount of yard you have to water and keep up. If that’s not a win win I don’t know what is!
10Go to the car wash
If you’re out of your rain water supply instead of using the hose to wash your car look into your local car washes to find which ones recycle their water and are energy efficient.
11Only boil what you need
Most of us learned in grade school that when we boil water, it evaporates. By measuring the exact amount of water you’ll need for each cup of pasta, rice, or tea you’ll minimize your water waste.
12Eat less meat
70% of fresh water used is used in production of the food we eat. 2,400 gallons of water goes into the production of one pound of beef compared to just 25 gallons used to produce 1 pound of wheat. That doesn’t even count the deforestation to house the livestock and crops planted to feed them. Can’t imagine giving up your burgers? Try to eat only naturally hunted, from local small farms or consider trying a Flexitarian diet.
In a Flexitarian diet one cuts out meet or animal products just a few days a week. Trying having a meatless Monday once a week!
13Reduce Food Waste
In the United States alone we waste 40% of all food we eat every year, in return wasting 25% of all fresh water consumed annually. Save your leftovers at home, order less/smaller portions at restaurants, look into composting, or start a small garden! You can also reduce your water waste by 36% by switching to a more plant based diet.