Home Water Conservation – Two Conservation Lessons for Homeowners
The supply of water and home water conservation is becoming a major concern as more and more homes and businesses are being built. Utility and ecological watchdogs have decided on some standards to follow. For example, they advocate the re-use of gray water, which would otherwise just go down the drain. Here are some secrets to home water conservation, which are also some good ways to save money and help the environment in the process.
Two Secrets to Home Water Conservation
Secret No. 1: Get a new toilet
Changing toilets manufactured prior to 1992 could save around 12,000 gallons a year per household. Newer high-efficiency toilets only use 1.28 gallons per flush, compared with older models, which use from 3.5 to seven gallons per flush. Home water conservation measures like this are always easier and less costly than finding new resources. Water utilities across the country say they’re thankful for the new water and energy efficiency devices in the toilet industry, and with droughts scorching the nation; many state governments are moving forward to mandating the use of water-saving commodes.
Secret No. 2: Water your lawn during the early morning hours.
Water evaporation decreases when you wet the lawn between 4:00 and 8:00 a.m., because there is less wind and the sun is not as hot. About one to two inches are necessary to ensure you have watered the lawn carefully to encourage good root growth and decrease the amount of watering per week. It was found that watering the lawn at night, which was originally promoted as a good idea, encourages insect activity and the growth of fungal bacteria.
Laundries, lavatories, swimming pools, hot tubs and gardens are key points where water is used in great quantities. Water authorities in many places around the globe enforce limitations on all of these areas; particularly the toilet and the lawn.