Summer can get brutal. The sweltering heat from our friend the sun makes it extremely important to be conscious of our water consumption. The heat causes water to evaporate, and fast. There are a few things you can do that will help you reduce your water use. Conserving water isn’t just good for the environment—it’s good for your wallet! By following these super easy tips, you can do your part to help save the planet.

1. Be smart about watering.

First rule of watering – don’t water your lawn or plants in the middle of the day when the sun is beating down. The water will end up in the air – not on your plants – because it evaporates so quickly. Plan to water during the morning or the evening if you must water your lawn, and make sure that you’re actually watering the grass and not the driveway. Or just skip watering entirely. That works too.

2. Fix your toilets.

This is a water-waster that you might not have thought about. Your toilet could be leaking water from the tank into the bowl, which means you’re flushing money away. To test your toilets for leakage, put some food coloring into the tank. Give it a while. Then go back and see what your toilet water looks like. If it’s the same color as the dye, you need to fix your toilet.

3. Be shower savvy.

You can do your part to conserve when you shower.

• First of all, abbreviate your shower. This one’s logic – shorter showers use less water. Cut down you shower time instead of lingering.
• Turn off the water while you shampoo or shave.
• Put a big bucket in the shower to collect the water as it warms up. You can take this water and toss it on the plants or bushes. They’ll appreciate the drink. If you save your soapy water and want to use it on your plants, make sure you’re using a soap that’s safe for the plants and environment.

4. Consider investing in water-saving devices and appliances.

Showerheads, faucets, toilets, dishwashers, and washing machines can all be swapped out for water-saving models. They’ll save you a bunch of money on your water bill.

5. Skip the hand wash for your dishes and car.

When it comes to washing the dishes, go ahead and use the dishwasher – just make sure to only run it when it’s full. Using the dishwasher actually uses less water than hand washing your dishes. Who would have thought?

Same goes for your car. If you absolutely must have your car washed, go to a car wash. You’ll end up using less water than if you were to drag out the hose, buckets, and sponges. It seems weird, but it’s true.

6. Collect the rain.

Get some rain barrels and set them up under your gutters to catch the rainwater that runs off your roof.

You can use the water and throw it on your plants. Saving the rain is better than letting that perfectly good precipitation run onto the driveway or sidewalk.

7. Think about your water-drinking habits.

Instead of using disposable plastic water bottles, use a refillable bottle instead. You’ll end up saving energy because you’re saving plastic.

Rather than waiting for the tap water to get cold enough to drink, fill up a container with water and stick it in the fridge. That way you have cold water and you don’t have to waste water as it cools.

8. Be veggie-smart.

If you like to munch on fruits and vegetables or use them when you cook, you have to rinse them before you eat them. But instead of running the tap to rinse the carrots and potatoes that you need for dinner, fill a bowl and dunk the veggies instead. This is an easy way to avoid running the faucet.

Summer is especially hot, which means that it’s important to save water. Water isn’t something to take for granted, so we all have to do our part to save as much of it as we can. Fortunately, it’s easy to make a few adjustments to your routine that will help you save both precious water and money.

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Sources:

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/peter-lehner/7-easy-ways-save-water-summer

https://sustainability.ncsu.edu/changeyourstate/5-super-simple-ways-to-save-water-during-summer/