Last year, my family ran into the not-so-fun situation of running out of water in our well. Oh, the things we take for granted! But necessity is the mother of invention and it lead me to do the following to conserve water:
Take a used 2.5 gallon plastic water container (Target sells bottled water this way and so does Super Walmart and BJs) that has a pull tap and cut a large, 3 sided hole in the back, leaving a plastic flap that can be opened or closed. When you take a shower, take the container in with you. As the water is warming up, hold the shower head so the water fills the container. I was surprised to find that it took almost 2 gallons of water to get it up to temperature! I then use the water for plants, our dogs and cats, and even to wash my hands. This conserves water when the weather is dry, saves money for those who have town water, and is a great emergency resource if you lose water if you lose electricity. It is also good when camping - put it at the end of your picnic table and you have an on site faucet!
By Rita from Whitinsville, MA
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Thank you! Great thought. I've been thinking about this the last couple of times I stepped into the shower.....what a waste of water ($$) while I wait for hot water. I'm also going to try to catch the cold water at the kitchen sink before it runs down the drain.
Hmm... this has gotten me thinking. Those of us on city water don't think so much about how much we waste. It's a good argument for more people adopting the old-fashioned "sink bath method." That's what I do between showers, or on days when I just don't feel up to the extra work a shower entails. Just remember to turn off that faucet when soaping and rinsing!
I have a small leak that can't be fixed need new faucets. So in meantime, I set a glass under faucet and in morning I have a glass of water to take my pills, without wasting the drips thru the night.
Also, the collected water that would have been wasted you can dump in the toilet and flush the toilet without using the water in the tank. Every little bit adds up!
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You don't have to let the water go down the drain when running the hot water to the dishwasher or shower. Put a pitcher under it and use the cooler water left in the pipes for dog water, plant watering, etc.
By Lynn
