Wasting water in our homes

Water waste is one of the main causes of water shortages around the world.

In our homes we use, on average, three times more water than we need.

Fresh water is a scarce commodity, and in a scenario where the world’s population is increasing, it is more urgent for everyone to behave in a sustainable and conscious way, avoiding waste and helping the planet. If we know some of the main sources of water waste in our homes, it’s easier to start saving. I’ve listed a few tips for combating water waste in our homes.

Cisterns

One leaking toilet can mean 200,000 liters of water wasted per year. Older models of cisterns can waste up to 15 liters in a single flush.

As pressing the flush button is a movement that is done without thinking, too many times the toilet is flushed unnecessarily. Around 30% of the water wasted in a home is due to the number of times we flush too much. This waste can amount to more than 120 liters a day, which at the end of a year is 29,000 1.5-liter bottles.

The best way to save on flushing is to use a dual-flush system for different situations. Whenever possible, use the flush that uses less water. If you don’t have this cost-effective flushing system, you can put a bottle full of water in the tank, reducing the amount of water that is flushed each time you flush.

By reducing the capacity of your cistern, and also the flush, you can save up to 600 liters per month, the equivalent of making 12 full washing machines.

Washing machines

Most modern washing machines are optimized to save water and electricity. However, incorrect use can lead to wasted water.

If you don’t fill the machine to near its maximum capacity, you’ll be wasting water in vain. On the other hand, note that older machines can use up to 200 liters of water to wash a 5 kg load of laundry, which is frightening compared to newer machines that use just 50 liters for the same load.

It’s important to take a good look at the pros and cons when buying electric equipment.

To reduce water wastage through the washing machine, reduce the frequency of washes, fill the machine to the limit recommended by the manufacturer, avoid pre-washes when not absolutely necessary and, where possible, replace the old machine with a modern, more efficient one.

Showers

Personal hygiene, showers and/or baths account for around 37% of all water consumption in a household. Although necessary and indispensable, showers play a significant role in the water that is wasted excessively, for three reasons. Firstly, water running while we wait for the water to heat up, showers that take too long, water running during lathering up and showers with an excessive flow rate.

The first three reasons are easy to overcome by changing your attitude. The fourth reason requires a little adaptation, switching to a shower head with a lower flow rate. This way, you can save up to 11 liters per minute.

A tip for the water we waste while the water is heating up in the shower is to store it in a pot, jug or bucket and use it for flushing the toilet, watering plants, washing dishes, among other uses.

An emersion bath can use up 200 liters of water in one go. This is enough to quench a person’s thirst for more than four months (based on 1.5 liters of water per day).

Taps

Even if the taps are in good condition and don’t drip, a lot of the water that could be saved escapes through the taps. An ordinary tap has a flow rate of about 6 liters per minute. If you halve the flow rate, you can save drastically on the water you use. Think about it: how many times have you left the taps running for too long? Unnecessarily, when brushing your teeth, washing your hands or taking a shower? Something has to change.

In the kitchen, know that washing dishes in the dishwasher can drastically reduce water waste, if the machine is used correctly. The latest machines can use as little as 15 liters per cycle. If you still have to wash dishes by hand, use two basins of water: one for soaking and lathering, the other for rinsing the dishes.

Know that washing dishes by hand can mean using around 50 liters of water for a small amount of dishes? For larger quantities, the figure can reach 150 liters.

Water leaks

A dripping tap during the day, a poorly sealed cistern, a broken pipe, among other things, are all situations that can lead to unnecessary water consumption. On average, a poorly sealed tap is equivalent to the extra consumption of 2,000 liters of water. Similarly, a string of water running from the toilet can represent 100,000 liters in losses every day.

There are also so-called invisible leaks in pipes, for example. If inside a house you can tell if there’s a leak or not, in a garden you can go on forever without realizing that there’s a leak.

How do you know if you have a leak?

Check the meter when no one is using the water, with the appliances or automatic systems switched off and the taps all turned off. If the red pointer moves on the meter, there’s probably a leak somewhere.

Every small change we make is another step towards a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle. Check your water footprint and decide what you need to do to reduce water consumption in your home.