Stop wasting water, start saving money 29 April 2009
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About 80 percent of Earth's surface is covered with water. But did you know that less than 1 percent of this vast amount of water is available to humans?
Water is a limited resource, and yet an average person can use up to 168 gallons of water a day. In the United States alone, about 25 trillion gallons of fresh water is being used a year.
Water is one of the most important elements of life. It helps us produce food, manufacture goods and stabilize our health. It's incredible how the global water consumption is increasing. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is predicting that by 2020 the world will develop a serious water shortage.
Even now, we're already facing many water problems around the world such as poor quality drinking water. People are developing diseases or becoming malnourished because of the lack of fresh water, and failing crops are costing the economy billions of dollars.
There are many ways in which you save water and, you can begin in your own home. For instance, try to avoid flushing the toilet for any unnecessary deposits such as tissue, other liquids, or dead insects. The average toilet consumes 1.6 gallons of water a flush; instead, throw the trash in the garbage and dispose the liquids in the sink.
Avoid taking baths and instead try taking showers. When you take a bath, you can use up to 70 gallons of water while showers only use up to 10-25 gallons of water. When you take a shower, try to limit the time you spend in there. Go and do only what you have to do: shampoo and scrub. Avoid shaving or brushing your teeth in the shower, as a shower head disperses much more water than a low-running sink.
Try not to let the water run while you are shaving or washing your face. When you turn off your tap water, you can save eight gallons of water a day. You can also reuse water by filling it in a cup or a basin.
Fill up your dishwasher or washing machine as much as it allows, before you turn it on. However, if there is a dire need to use your dishwasher or washing machine before it is full, make sure to set the water level to the size of the load you are using. This way you can save up to 1,000 gallons of water a month.
Most importantly, have a monthly checkup of any water drainage around the house especially the toilet and the faucet. If your faucet drips every second, you waste about 2,700 gallons a year. Are you really willing to pay for water that you have been wasting around the house?
Use your water sparingly and not only will you save water globally, but you can save tons of money on your water bills as well.
