Water is an essential commodity that no living being can survive without it. In fact, for most people today, water seems plentiful or unlimited thanks to modern-day plumbing systems. You can simply turn on the faucet and you get a limitless supply of clean and fresh potable water that you can use for bathing, cooking, drinking, or gardening.
However, water isn’t as unlimited as many would think. Between the effects of global warming causing droughts in numerous areas in the world and the rising cost of bills, it makes sense to start saving water now. Luckily, there are tons of water-conserving steps you can take and one of them is by building a water-smart home.
In this post, you’ll learn some tips and strategies to minimize your water usage and build a truly water-smart home. Keep on reading below to find out more.
- Collect And Reuse Rainwater
Rainwater harvesting systems are a fundamental component of any water-smart home. After all, rain falling from the sky is free water, so why not use it?
If you’re living in an area with a climate that’s prone to heavy rainfall every year, then collecting this water source is a big step toward water efficiency and sustainability.
You can easily set up a rain barrel to capture excess water falling off your roof. You can use it outdoors such as watering your garden or cleaning your patio.
If you want to maximize rainwater use, you can install a rainwater tank complete with a filtration system. These systems are more complex and expensive to install though. However, if you live in a region with regular water restrictions or seasonal drought conditions, a complete rainwater harvesting system is the perfect substitute to ensure that you have an uninterrupted water supply.
There are several reputable manufacturers and installers of water tank systems such as The Tank Factory who are able to deliver throughout Sydney, Australia. They can help you choose the right water tank, depending on your needs, and ensure proper installation to significantly increase your home’s water efficiency.
- Install Water-Efficient Appliances And Fixtures
Another tip to create a water-smart property is to invest in the right appliances and fixtures. This might sound obvious, but most homeowners tend to forget it and select the cheapest option they can find without looking at the operating and lifetime costs of an appliance.
Whether you’re building a new home or renovating your bathrooms, make sure to opt for low-flow fixtures, significantly reducing your daily water consumption.
In the kitchen, consider installing a dishwasher. Not only can it be a major convenience for you, but dishwashers also offer impressive water savings. Most modern dishwashers are further equipped with several innovative water-efficient features such as high-efficiency water jets, smart dish rack designs, and improved water filtration.
- Fix Leaks Immediately
In addition to installing water-efficient appliances and fixtures, you must always fix leaks right away. Did you know that the average household can waste up to 180 gallons a week or 9,400 gallons a year due to leaks? That’s about the amount of water you need to wash over 300 loads of laundry.
So, make sure to take always inspect your plumbing system and check for leaks–from constantly dripping faucets to running toilets to hidden leaks behind the walls–and resolve them accordingly. Not only can it help conserve water but fixing leaks also prevents extensive and costly moisture damage to your home’s structure.
- Take Advantage Of Smart Technology
To truly build a water-smart property, you can use smart technology to control your water usage. There are several options you can try including:
- Shower Timer
Showers are an inevitable part of your life. And while taking a long, warm shower can be therapeutic, it can waste huge amounts of water. An easy solution is to use shower time. As its name implies, this smart decide monitors the amount of water you use every shower. It attempts to slightly reduce your shower time by sounding an alert when you’re taking too long and automatically shutting off the water supply.
- Greywater Recycling System
Another way to reduce water usage is to recycle greywater, which is household water that doesn’t contain serious contaminants. A greywater recycling setup can route wastewater and treat this type of water so it can be reused in toilets or irrigation.
That said, a greywater recycling system will need significant changes to your home’s standard plumbing layout. As such, it’s going to be quite expensive and inconvenient during installation.
- Smart Irrigation Controller
Landscape irrigation accounts for nearly one-third of residential water use. And yet, up to 50% of the water used for irrigation is only wasted due to wind, evaporation, or runoff due to inefficient irrigation systems.
To help minimize water wastage on your irrigation, you can opt for a smart irrigation controller. Most technologies use local weather data and soil moisture levels to decide when to water your lawn. Some systems also automatically skip watering schedules when it’s windy or raining and offer seasonal adjustments to at-home irrigating.
Takeaway
Clean and fresh water is becoming an increasingly valuable resource. Maintaining a water-efficient home has never been more important than today. Fortunately, it’s not that difficult to build and maintain a water-smart home. With the abovementioned strategies, you can save thousands of gallons of water every year and do your part towards water conservation.
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