Water, every drop of it, is more precious than Gold. Without water, mankind cannot survive on this earth. Water is needed for drinking, for cooking food, for washing clothes, for bathing and keeping your body hygienic, and for general cleaning purposes. Water plays a very vital role in human lives and it is essential to conserve water in the wake of the rise in population, areas struggling with drought, deforestation, and other environmental concerns. As the saying goes the practice should always start at home, so let us examine the ways to Save Water at Home.
What are the water conservation techniques that should be implemented when constructing a building?
When you make the initial plan to construct your new building, water conservation should occupy an important place in the scheme of things. Fly ash is one popular alternative to cement in construction as it possesses siliceous and aluminous characteristics. It is economical and environment-friendly and consumes less energy for overall processing. Concrete mix made with fly ash needs less water and gives better results at the same water content.
Usually, water is heavily spent during the preparation of mortar and curing. It has been observed that the use of dry mortar would significantly reduce the water requirement as there is no need to have a wet mortar. The use of dry mortar eliminates the need for curing helping in substantial water conservation during the pre-construction phase.
Setting up a natural water harvesting tank is a good idea as it would reduce the exploitation of water and the water stored in the tank can be further treated and reused. Water harvesting is done in conjunction with dual pumping and greywater treatment and this helps in reducing the sewer traffic.
Having low-flush toilets, even high-efficiency toilets, or waterless urinals can help in lowering water wastage to a large extent. The use of water-saving fixtures and appliances reduces water consumption by some 30 to 40%.
How do we recycle water at home?
India’s population is estimated to reach around 1.7 billion by 2050 putting immense pressure on ground water levels. Already we are seeing bore wells getting dry in the summer season. A large proportion of water is used in irrigation and domestic usage respectively and water wastage in these activities coupled with the depletion of water in rivers and groundwater sources, there’s immense pressure. Also, pollution of water bodies, especially the industrial waste which is dumped is making water unusable for human consumption.
Wastewater Reuse: Often water used in cleaning vegetables and even in cooking food finally goes into the drain. So when you use water next time to wash vegetables or cook, you can collect the water wasted in these efforts and use the same for toilet flushes, mopping the floor, or for watering plants.
Rain Garden: Having a rain garden, i.e. a constructed area in which rainwater is collected, from the roofs, pipes, etc. would help in having stored water that can be used for gardening purposes, bathroom usage, etc. Installing a rainwater collection mechanism while constructing the house will help eliminate water wastage for activities like washing vehicles, or in activities other than consuming water directly.
Drinking Water: This happens without many of us realizing it as often people tend to throw away the remaining water in a glass after drinking from it. Several liters of water could be wasted over a period, and hence you may use the unused water that you didn’t drink for watering the plants, feeding your pet, or for toilet purposes.
Water Purifier: Households using RO and other water purifiers tend to waste the water in the drain. It is pertinent to note that this water could be stored and reused for some other purposes like house cleaning, watering plants, feeding pets, washing the car, or using it in the bathroom.
What are some of the other water conservation methods to be followed at home?
People when cleaning vegetables and other edible items tend to leave the tap in full force,to Save water at home avoid this. You can soak the vegetables in a bowl of water with some salt added to it which will help in thorough cleaning. You can also install a washing-up bowl in your kitchen to lower the consumption of water and additionally switch to water-efficient appliances such as dishwater with a light wash option to conserve water.
Take shorter showers and place a tub below to conserve the water that drips, use shower timers, and turn off the tap when not in use. Keep a watch on any leaks in the toilet, and do not use the toilet for disposal of cigarette buds or tissue papers as it would eventually result in water loss. Apart from this automatic washing machines consume large amounts of water, so use the washing machine judiciously.
How to harvest rainwater?
Rainwater harvesting stands as a powerful method for both conserving precious natural water resources and replenishing groundwater levels. At your home, you can create a deep pit or construct a reservoir so that the water steeps down and replenishes the groundwater level. You can install a catchment for collecting and storing water, a conveyance system for transporting the harvesting water to the recharge zone, filter the stored water to remove pollutants and build tanks and recharge structures for storing the filtered water.
What happens when there is water scarcity at home?
When water supplies from rivers or lakes, and groundwater borewell sources dry up, homes will depend on tankers. If the demand is more then tankers will not be available as frequently as earlier and they will hike the price which you will have to bear.
FAQs
1. What steps can be taken to ensure Save Water at Home?
- To Save Water at Home, Ask housemaids to use water judiciously and simultaneously every member of your family should do the same.
- Consider washing clothes twice a week instead of daily.
- Keep an eye on any leakages from pipes, taps, etc. to prevent water from getting wasted.
- Use a bucket instead of shower for bathing, especially when bathing a child.
2. How water can be reused?
- To Save Water at Home, Water can be recycled and used in toilets.
- Recycled water can be used for watering plants.
3. How can we purify wastewater at home?
- Save Water at Home is an important target, You can construct a reed bed filled with gravel, one in which wetland plants are rooted.
- Water will get purified as plants absorb the nutrients including soaps and detergent elements present in the wastewater.