6 Unconventional Ways to Save Water at Home

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Posted on 29/10/2020 by Gabriel Halimi

Although our individual efforts to reduce water usage may feel like a proverbial drop in the bucket, when combined, it can make a big difference. The EPA estimates the average American family wastes 180 gallons per week, or roughly 9400 gallons per year! If you’re interested in applying more water-saving measures at home, check out these six unconventional ways to reduce your usage.

1. Put a floater or plastic bottle in your toilet tank

By displacing water in your toilet tank with a partially filled water bottle, tank bank or float booster, you’ll reduce the amount of water used per flush. However, if too much water is displaced you won’t get an effective flush. Experiment by trial and error and see how much water your tank can stand to lose without sacrificing efficiency.

2. Insulate your pipes

Gallons of water are lost over the course of a day while waiting for water to warm up or cool down. Insulating your pipes will help keep them temperate and reduce the amount of time it takes for the water to change temperature.

3. Collect unused tap water

Insulating your pipes may speed up the time it takes your tap to change temperature, but there will still be some waste before filling your glass or hopping in the shower. Instead, keep cooled water in your fridge so you’re not always running the sink faucet. Use a bucket to collect cold water from the shower or bathtub before you bathe, and use it on your plants or lawn later on.

4. Eat less meat

Although eating less meat won’t substantially reduce the amount of water your family uses at home, it is an impactful way to conserve water globally. It takes a staggering 2400 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat, and only 25 gallons of water to produce one pound of wheat. Consider how much water is needed to produce enough grain to feed one cow, as opposed to using that water exclusively for agriculture and human food production. A plant-based diet is much easier on the environment and demands less water from the planet.

5. Harvest rainwater

It’s estimated that about 30 percent of the average household’s water consumption is used outdoors, and roughly 50 percent of this water is being wasted or misused. A great way to conserve water is by harvesting rainwater in rain barrels. Simply place them in your yard to collect and recycle water for use in your garden or lawn. It’s a passive and easy way to reduce water usage and save money on water bills.

6. Prevent leaks

Roughly 14 percent of residential water use is lost to leaks and other plumbing issues. Even if your house runs on smart home automation and has the latest Energy Star appliances, you may be unknowingly losing gallons of water each week. The best protection against water loss is with a smart home water security system like Flo by Moen, which offers a leak detection and automatic shutoff device which lets you monitor your water usage, alerts you to leaks large and small, and even has an emergency water shut off feature in the event of a catastrophic leak.

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