Unfortunately, droughts have been a frequent topic of conversation over the last several years. They’ve been an especially hot topic in the state of California. While it’s easy to ‘forget’ about the dangers of a drought when we’re not in one, they can be pretty scary when you’re in the middle of one! Thankfully, there are things you can do during a drought that will help conserve water.
The good news?
These quick tips hardly take any extra effort. It’s all about making small changes to how you use water every single day. During a drought, everyone has to do their part to save as much water as possible. Use these suggestions to step up and make sure you’re doing what you need to in order to keep the water supply at a safe level.
Run Full Loads of Laundry and Dishes
It’s easy to toss in a few pieces of laundry to make sure you have something to wear the next day. Or, to load up a few after-dinner dishes in the dishwasher and run a cycle. Instead of doing this, wait until you have a full load for each of these appliances. You’ll run them less frequently, and subsequently get more items clean at once!
Install Water-Friendly Devices
Tinker Programs Kitchen Aerator
Things like low-flow showerheads and toilets should be standard fare in states like California, where droughts have become more frequent. You can also install an aerator on things like kitchen faucets. It can help to reduce the amount of water that comes out of the faucet to one gallon per minute. That’s a significant savings when you’re washing your dishes by hand!
Adjust Your Sprinklers
Setting up your irrigation system the right way can save a lot of water and can put it to better use. First, water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening, when temperatures are cooler. This will lower the amount of water evaporation. You should also adjust your sprinklers to make sure they’re only watering your lawn/plants. Some sprinklers are faced in such a way that they’re essentially watering sidewalks. That’s a huge waste of water and something that can be easily remedied.
Fix Your Leaks
You might not think a leaking faucet or showerhead is that big of a deal. But, even a few drips here and there can add up to hundreds (even thousands!) of gallons of water each year. Not only are you throwing money down the drain, but those are valuable gallons that could be used more effectively elsewhere.
Shower Smarter
Tinker Programs Shower Timer
There are several ways to conserve water while you’re taking a shower. It starts with jumping in right away instead of waiting a few minutes for the water to warm up. Yes, it might be uncomfortable for a minute or two but, some studies have shown that cool or cold showers actually have certain health benefits! If you really don’t want to step into cold water while it heats up, you can use it to brush your teeth. Stand outside the shower and utilize the cooler water to brush your teeth while it warms.
Once you’re actually in the shower, reduce your time! If you typically take 10-minute showers, lower it to 5, etc. You can even make a game out of it with your whole family, seeing how ‘low’ you can get your shower time.
As you can see, it doesn’t take much to make a big difference during a drought. If everyone in the state of California (and beyond) followed these simple tips, water levels may not be such a huge concern all the time. Don’t wait for someone else to start the trend – you can make these changes today!