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Back in the "old days" when I was growing up water didn't come from turning a knob. It came from a well in the back yard. To get it out of the well one had to remove the four foot sand-bucket from the nail on the side of the wash-house and let the long tubular bucket down deep into the pipe-like hole until the splashing sound let the person holding the rope tied to the handle of the sand-bucket, know the water would soon bubble over the top. It was imperative one held on tight. If the rope slipped it took forever to fish the sand-bucket out of the well using a longer rope with a crooked end poker hoping to finally snag the sand-bucket out of the bottom of the well. After this event the water was muddy and it look hours for water to clear again. When water was this difficult to come by, a growing girl had no problem finding ways to save every drop and use only the amount necessary.

Modern day American use an average of 118 gallons of water daily. That is a staggering number. It was nowhere close to that amount for a family of five fifty years ago. What has changed? The ease in obtaining water and the change in our ways of living. We have indoor plumbing, dishwashers, automatic washing machines, huge bathtubs and showers, outdoor water hoses for car washing and watering landscapes. Combining some of the old with the modern, I've come up with ways to cut water usage per person way down from 118 gallons to, well...I don't know how much, but way down.

Ways to save in the kitchen

All the family is responsible for using water in the kitchen. Cooking and clean-up takes place in this area of the home. Depending on the reason, when serving food, would it be a better trade off to use paper serving pieces to eat on instead of using washable dishes and save the water it takes to wash dishes whether in the dishwasher or by hand? If dishes are the choice, it is always a water conserver to put every piece possible into the dishwasher before turning the washer on. I maintain it takes less water to do dishes by hand than in a dishwasher. Here again, you have to trade time and energy for water. If one is laid off from work and have the time and energy, it could be worth the trade.

I would not do this next step unless there was a terrible drought. I do share this tip from my childhood because it does work and dishes get perfectly clean and one can save the dish water for other uses where "gray" water will work for your purpose. Go to the dollar store or to anywhere large plastic tubs

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