13 May 2014

More than a drop in the bucket

(Leaving the planet as we found it
 - part of a continuing series on good stewardship)

For Australians used to dancing around under water-saving shower heads trying to get wet, taking a shower in some other countries can be quite a shock. In some hotels where I stayed in the USA, the water pressure in the shower was so great that it practically pinned me to the wall.

The fact is that Australia is a dry country. Our rainfall, at least in the south-west, has declined dramatically even over my lifetime. So water-saving measures such as water-saving shower heads are a necessity.

One simple way to save even more water in the shower is to collect the cold water that is usually run off while you’re waiting for the water to become warm. Unless you have an instantaneous water heater close to the shower, the chances are that there are a couple of litres of cold water in the pipes. If you keep a large plastic jug or a bucket close to the shower, you can save this run-off water and use it to water your pot plants. Or wait until you have a bucket full and use it to flush the toilet or wash the car.

Do you have other suggestions for saving water around the house? If you do, please share it with us by leaving a comment.


Photo credit: Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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