It's ok to drink the water when it's Green

What's the Big Deal?

There is no resource more precious than water. There is also no resource that is misused, abused, misallocated, and misunderstood in such quantities. Many people have had water-saving etiquette pumped into them at some point or other, so hopefully we can make a good case for conserving the stuff with some easy, everyday water-saving strategies as well as some more high-tech approaches.

Top tips to help you reduce your water consumption:

1. No drips

A dripping faucet can waste 20 gallons of water a day. A leaking toilet can use 90,000 gallons of water in a month. Get out the wrench and change the washers on your sinks and showers, or get new washer-less faucets. Keeping your existing equipment well maintained is probably the easiest and cheapest way to start saving water.

2. Install new fixtures

New, low-volume or dual flush toilets, low-flow showerheads, water-efficient dishwashers and clothes washing machines can all save a great deal of water and money. Aerators on your faucets can significantly reduce water volume; water-saving showerheads can cut the volume of water used down to 1.2 gallons per minute or less, and some even have a "pause button" to let you stop the water while soaping up or shampooing.

3. Cultivate good water habits

All the water that goes down the drain, clean or dirty, ends up mixing with raw sewage, getting contaminated, and meeting the same fate. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving and always wash laundry and dishes with full loads. When washing dishes by hand, fill up the sink and turn off the water.

4. Go beyond the lawn

Naturalize it using locally appropriate plants that are hardy and don't need a lot of water. If you have to water, do it during the coolest part of the day or at night to minimize evaporation. Xeriscaping is a method of landscaping that utilizes only native and low water plants.

5. Harvest your rainwater

Put a rain barrel on your downspouts and use this water for irrigation. Rain cisterns come in all shapes and sizes ranging from larger underground systems to smaller, freestanding ones.

6. Harvest your greywater

Water that has been used at least once but is still clean enough for other jobs is called greywater. Water from sinks, showers, dishwashers, and clothes washers are the most common household examples. Greywater can be recycled with practical plumbing systems like the Aqus, or with simple practices such as emptying the fish tank in the garden instead of the sink. The bottom line? One way or another, avoid putting water down the drain when you can use it for something else.

7. At the car wash

Car washes are often more efficient than home washing and treat their water rather than letting it straight into the sewer system. But check to make sure that they clean and recycle the water.

8. Keep your eyes open

Report broken pipes, open hydrants, and excessive waste. Don't be shy about pointing out leaks to your friends and family members, either. They might have tuned out the dripping sound a long time ago.