saving water shower room
High temperatures and low water levels have plunged many parts of the country from California to Maine into a state of drought. As a result, people in certain places (such as parts of California) face mandatory water restrictions. In other places, including some areas in Minnesota, they are required to water their lawns less frequently during colder times.Even in areas that are not facing severe water shortages, residents are required to conserve water in one of the hottest years on record.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these efforts usually start in the yard because it is the largest residential water user, especially in the summer, when lawns and gardens have surged. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, outdoor water accounts for 30% of total household water consumption, but this number may be higher in the drier areas of the country.
According to the Water Research Foundation, the second largest household uses toilets, which account for 24%, followed by faucets, showers, washing machines, leaks, bathtubs and dishwashers.
Count your water consumption, starting with your water bill. If your cost or usage is higher than a year ago, please analyze the reasons. First, eliminate water waste, such as leaks, and then find ways to reduce water use. The Alliance's Home Waterworks Calculator can help.
Many small and big changes can ensure that water is not wasted on the sewer. In addition, by saving water, you can also save energy costs, because equipment such as washing machines uses both types of equipment at the same time.
1. Use smart watering strategies. Water grass and plants only when needed. Patrick Shea, general manager of the St. Paul Regional Water Service Company in St. Paul, Minnesota, has asked city residents to only water before noon or after 6 pm to minimize evaporation during the hottest hours of the day. Avoid watering when it's windy, because the droplets will deviate from their course, he added. If you use a hose for watering, make sure it has a shut-off nozzle, and you can add a small portion to the hose to prevent the water from overflowing.
2. Change mowing practices. Longer grass will absorb more water, so raise your lawnmower blade as high as possible. Reduce the frequency of mowing and leave the cut grass clippings on the grass to isolate the ground and retain more moisture.
3. Use smart irrigation. Regularly check the sprinklers to make sure they are working properly and are not leaking, which can waste hundreds of gallons a day. Adjust the sprinkler head to spray only on the green space. Install a smart sprinkler system with soil moisture and rain sensors, or add these functions to your existing system.
4. Rethink landscaping. Organize your yard into water zones and use a different watering schedule for each water zone to avoid overwatering and underwater. Replace water-consuming plants with low-moisture native plants or drought-resistant varieties. Get rid of the lawn more boldly and replace it with mulch, gravel or artificial turf.
5. Look for leaks. Bathrooms account for about half of all indoor household water consumption. Regularly check your pipes, faucets, toilets and shower heads for leaks.
6. Limit flushing. Each toilet flush uses 4 gallons of water. Reduce water consumption by reducing rinsing and not rinsing items such as hair and spiders. You can trick the toilet into using less water by replacing the water in the tank: fill an empty plastic milk jug or laundry container with water and place it in the corner of the tank. Installing a low-flow or WaterSense-labeled toilet can save 13,000 gallons of water per year. Your community may have a plan to provide free water-saving replacement toilets.
7. Restrict the use of faucets. Do not leave the faucet on when brushing your teeth, washing your hands or shaving. Use low-flow or WaterSense-labeled faucets to save water.
8. Take a bath, not a bath. Showers usually use less water than bathing, because the average bathtub can hold more than 50 gallons. If you really want to take a bath, just fill the bathtub with water. Showering for a long time also wastes water, so limit your shower time to 3 to 5 minutes. Digital broadcasting services Pandora and Spotify provide shower playlists that are used as timers. Turn off the water when washing your hair and foaming, and then turn on the rinse again.
Use low-flow shower heads. The shower head with the WaterSense label only uses 2 gallons per minute, while the old shower head uses 8 gallons per minute. You can use a gallon bucket to check the flow of existing shower heads. If the filling time is less than 24 seconds, the flow rate exceeds 2.5 gallons per minute.
9. Keep the faucet closed. Don't leave the faucet on until the water gets cold. Instead, cool a pot of tap water in the refrigerator.
10. Use an efficient dishwasher. Dishwashers are generally more effective than washing dishes by hand, but you must only run it when the dishwasher is full and only during off-peak energy hours. Not pre-rinsing the dishes can save more water, which is unnecessary for most new dishwashers. Invest in Energy Star dishwashers, which have a 30% higher water saving rate than other models. If you wash the dishes by hand, fill the sink with water instead of letting the water run away.
11. Update defrosting practices. Do not thaw frozen food in water. Instead, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
12. Adjust the use of the washing machine. Wear some clothes more than once, and only run when the washing machine is full. Adjust the washing machine to the load size to reduce water consumption (some new machines will do this automatically). Consider buying an Energy Star washing machine, which uses 33% less water than other models.
13. Circulating water. Use the collected rainwater to wash the car or water the plants. You can also collect water in a bucket while showering and wait for the water to heat up.
Extra points: Check if your water or energy supplier offers any rebates or discounts for appliances or programs to help you improve household water efficiency. These may include free low-flow shower heads, discounts on WaterSense products, or household water audits.
Once you understand how and where you can reduce usage, it's easy to save water at home. The quick and easy water use calculator shows you which water in your home is effective and which is not, and provides simple water and energy saving tips.
The impact of drought on health is multifaceted and far-reaching. Some drought-related health effects are experienced in a short period of time and can be directly observed and measured. However, the slow rise or long-term nature of droughts can lead to long-term, indirect health risks, which are not always easy to predict or monitor.
