by Travis Mitchell

Created on: April 08, 2010   Last Updated: April 09, 2010

When it comes to conserving water at home, many of us go no further than turning off the sprinklers and maybe feeling a little guilty every time we flush the toilet. Let’s face it, water conservation seems like a real task. The truth however is that it’s not much of a task at all. Conserving water is surprisingly easy and it certainly doesn’t have to cut into your lifestyle.

A good place to start is in the bathroom. According to the CMHC, just one toilet accounts for about 30% of the water used in your home. So installing a low flow toilet is an excellent first step to take.

Another positive change you can make in the bathroom is to switch to a low flow shower head. Contrary to popular belief, a shower actually uses less water than a bath. So while a shower is already inherently efficient, we can increase this even further with the low flow. Like its highly efficient toilet counterpart, it uses far less water but performs like a normal shower head.

A shower is not necessarily practical for children though. So when you bathe them, either bathe them together or reuse the water.

Also, when you begin to run a bath, don’t wait until the water is hot before you plug the tub. Plug it immediately and simply adjust the temperature accordingly.

In keeping with the plumbing theme, check for any pipes or faucets that might be leaking. In theory, this could potentially save you hundreds (even thousands) of gallons of water per year.

It is also a good idea to ensure that your hot water pipes are properly insulated. This will ultimately reduce the amount of water you have to run (and therefore waste) before you reach the desired temperature, as the hot water already in the pipes will stay hot longer because of the insulation.

A major source of water consumption in many homes is laundry. The biggest change you can make here is to purchase a high efficiency washer, one that uses less water and energy than older models.

However, if this is not a financially feasible option, one can always conserve water by only running the washer when there is actually a full load of laundry to do.

The same approach can be taken with dishes. Only run the dishwasher if you have a full load.

Finally, get creative. It is nearly impossible to list all the ways that you can conserve water in your home, simply because different people lead different lives.

For example, if you have a fish tank, instead of throwing the old water away when you clean it, consider using that water on your indoor plants, if you have any.

At the end of the day, the amount of water you conserve is limited only by your imagination.

SOURCES:

"Buying a Toilet", CMHC

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