Now that we’re in the full swing of summer, the perpetual issue of water conservation returns to the front of Texans' minds: how do we save water in a drought? There are a lot of answers to that question; some are easy, some are more difficult. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 easiest ways to save water that you can incorporate into your life immediately. You’ll be saving precious water and Taking Care of Texas in no time!
The Texas sun is legendary. It is brutal and merciless on lawns, and it will evaporate between 50-70% of the water you apply to your yard. So what’s the solution? Water before the sun comes up. You can also water at night or, better still, in the early morning hours. Otherwise, you risk letting the atmosphere steal away too much of our most precious natural resource.
Hand washing your car in your driveway can use more than 100 gallons of water. A modern automated carwash that uses water recirculating technology uses less than half that amount. Unless you have a shutoff valve for your garden hose and a bucket, spending a little money on a car wash will most likely save significant amounts of water.
Running your dishwasher when it’s not completely full wastes water. Eat a few more meals, dirty a few more dishes. Then load up and run that dishwasher. You’ll also save yourself some time and effort by not leaning over a hot sink.
The shower can be a place of rest and relaxation, but unfortunately, a long luxurious shower comes at the expense of wasting a lot of water. Try shortening your shower to five minutes. It may sound hard at first, but once you start making haste in the shower, you’ll find it’s an easy task.
Pick up the pace, slowpoke! Do what you need to get the job done—especially if you’re washing your hands—but do it quickly. Give yourself a set amount of time for certain tasks and stick to it. You can do it. We believe in you!
Keep a bucket by the tub. While you wait for your bath or shower water to get warm, catch the water that would otherwise go down the drain. The water you save can be used for many purposes, like watering plants, cooking, or giving to pets. Otherwise, you’ll waste gallons of precious water.
If you’re only washing a small load, adjust the water level accordingly. Small loads require less water. There’s no need to use the amount of water you’d need to wash a large bedspread if you’re only washing a small load of socks and underwear.
Use only what you need. Overwatering your lawn is one of the most water wasteful things you can do. Try using the Water My Yard app and website to determine exactly how much water your lawn will need. The app considers rainfall data from your area as well as your local weather conditions to give you an accurate recommendation on just how much to water your lawn.
This one is too easy to pass up. Don’t let the faucet run while you’re brushing your teeth, shaving, washing your face, or during any other bathroom activity that uses water. Be mindful and turn off the tap until you need it again.
People used to put a brick in their toilet tank to displace the water used to flush the toilet, conserving some water with each flush. However, bricks tend to break down and could cause possible plumbing issues. Nowadays, a good practice is to fill a plastic bottle with enough rocks and pebbles to weigh it down, then seal the bottle and place it in your toilet tank to displace the water. You may have to find the right size bottle to make sure that the toilet still has enough water for a successful flush, but this method is a very easy low-tech way to save water.
Of course, these are only a few of the ways you can save water. There are endless ways you can conserve water around your home, your office, or at school. As we continue to experience more severe droughts, we’re going to need to save as much water as we possibly can. Remember, every drop counts. If you have an innovative way to save water that you’d like to share with us, visit our Texans in Action page and tell us about it.
