Without water, existence of life is not possible. One the one hand, significance of even a single drop of water cannot be undermined, on the other hand the per capita fresh water availability is on a steep decline in Pakistan. The country is facing acute water shortage, and to make matters worse this shortage relates to both, quality and quantity of water. Pakistan is ranks 3rd in the world facing acute water shortage according to IMF Report. Groundwater tables, which are the safety net, are depleting at a fast pace. Additionally, 91% of water of Karachi contains sewage and industrial waste as per Judicial Commission Report. Moreover, the water table’s depth in the central part of Lahore city has fallen below 130 feet (40 metres) approximately. When it comes to quantifying, the situation is even worse. For instance, thirty-five percent of the population lack access to safe drinking water. According to World Bank report water pollution costs Pakistan nearly 4% of GDP. Therefore, water has become a precious commodity. There are plenty of ways to save water at home. Here are some simple, helpful tips that can help you do your bit.
Install Dual Flush Toilets
Introduce dual flush-toilets at home. These modern-day toilets come up with two buttons: one is smaller than the other. The dual flush option is better than the traditional flush. It has a half flush that uses up only 3 liters of water and a full flush that uses 6 liters of water. This allows less use of water. For the liquid waste, you can push the half flush and only use the full flush feature for solid wastes. The estimated water consumption that a household can save when using dual-flush toilets is around 20,000 liters of water annually than the traditional flush system. It is not only eco-friendly but it also helps cut down on your water bills.
Fix Leakage
Logically speaking, having a leakage is not less than a crime. The water that drips from an unfixed tap, let’s say, 10 drops per minute would amount to around 3 liters of water a day. So, check all the leakages in your bathroom or kitchen. You can also cross check your water bills with your consumption level, if you can estimate upcoming bills are above, check hidden leakages as well. Meanwhile, you can always keep a spare bottle or a tab to save water at home.
Recycle Water
You can reuse water in most of the cases. Whether you are washing vegetables, clothes or taking a bath. Store the water that would otherwise go down the drain. When boiling vegetables or anything don’t let the water go to waste, you can use it in flushing toilet or simply water your front lawn. Similarly, while washing your car, always use a low-flow hose pipe to conserve water. Using a bucket of water would be even better.
Simply Turn Off the Tap
So, the next time you are washing yourself, just turn off the tap when you do not need it. This is perhaps the easiest way of conserving water at home. People generally have the habit of running the tap to its full strength while brushing teeth or washing face and hands. Please, brush your teeth without turning the tap on and wait for the time when you have to wash your teeth only. These simple ways to save water at home can go a long way in conserving this precious resource.
Use Machines the Right Way
Only turn on your washing machine when it is loaded to its full capacity. If you have a habit of washing clothes as soon as you take them off, then you are using up more water than needed. You can easily save water at home by simply collecting dirty clothes and doing your laundry on the weekend. This way, not only would you save water but you would also have some spare time for yourself. Keep a bucket or a bottle in the drainage pipe of your washing machine. If you have a dishwasher, then load it completely and do not wash dishes separately. Washing dishes collectively in a dishwasher requires less consumption of water.
Manage your lawn smartly
It can be a bit challenging, however, you have to do it for the sake of saving one of the precious source i.e. Water. In summer, water your plants in the evening and not during heat hours so that water doesn’t evaporate the surface. Similarly, water your plants using recycled water and you can also water your plants using the stored rainwater. Sprinkler technique can also be used to save around 33% of water annually.
Use the machines right way
Only turn on your washing machine when it is loaded to its full capacity. If you have a habit of washing clothes as soon as you take them off, then you are using up more water than needed. You can easily save water at home by simply collecting dirty clothes on the weekend. This way, not only would you save water but you would also have some spare time for yourself.
To cap it all, one must try ones best to save every drop of water where possible. Hopefully, discussed ways will help you to save water where possible.
