There are many parts of South Africa that still have water restrictions. This can make life difficult sometimes as you may not always have water to do your laundry, to water your garden, etc. But these water restrictions are necessary as some parts of the country are suffering from a water crisis. If you want to restrict your water usage, here are a couple of ways that you can do it.
Take shorter showers
If you have lots of hair products that you use it can greatly extend your shower time. Showers can use anything between 6-45 litres of water per minute. So make sure that you shorten your shower time. Put an alarm on your phone so you know when to jump out or turn it off when you’re applying your products and turn it back on to rinse.
Check your pipes, taps and faucets for leaks
You could be wasting a lot of water without even realising it. For example, a dripping tap can waste 15 litres of water a day or 5,500 litres of water a year. So take a walk around your home or apartment and check that nothing is leaking. If you find any leaks along the way, take a notepad and write down where it’s leaking so that you can get someone in to fix it.
Use the dishwasher and washing machine for only full loads
Filling up your washing machine and dishwasher can help you cut down on the amount of time that you use them. If you have a dishwasher, make sure that you don’t pre-rinse any dishes as this will save you on water. When using a clothes washer, make sure that it’s not in the press cycle setting as then uses up a lot more water that is needed.
Turn on the tap only to rinse
You could be saving water just by turning the tap off while washing your hands and brushing your teeth. You don’t need the water to run while scrubbing your hands clean with soap, so switch it off and then back on again when it’s time to rinse.
Don’t leave the water running while washing dishes
If you’re lucky enough to have a double basin sink in the kitchen, fill one with soapy water and another with rinse water. If you have a single basin, you can collect the soapy dishes on a rack and then rinse them with a pan of hot water or with a spray device. This way you don’t have to leave the tap running while you’re doing the dishes.
Install a water meter
A water meter is very helpful if you want to determine how much water you’re using when taking a shower, doing the laundry, etc. It can also help you to find out if there are any leaks in your home. So if you want to have more control over your water usage, then you should probably look into installing one of these systems.
Water is an important part of our everyday lives, but we need to keep an eye on our water usage as we need to conserve as much as we can.