Water Conservation Ideas

Water Conservation

Water conservation is important to consumers who are learning that water use patterns have effects on the world as much as their carbon prints. While many of us know about simple things to do around home such as fixing leaky faucets, there are new technologies being developed all the time to make life comfortable but also save water. Here is a sampling of just a few of the many things in the market.

5.  Many of us have seen the Seinfeld episode in which Jerry Seinfeld and his neighbor Cosmo Kramer are displeased with the low-flow shower heads installed by the apartment building’s maintenance department. In the end, Kramer purchases a showerhead that was so powerful it knocked him out of the shower. Many people share similar attitudes regarding their shower head; they simply want the pressure to feel clean. Today, manufacturers have found ways to conserve water while still giving you the water flow necessary for a good rinse. Many shower heads now offer pulsating water flow by increasing the air in the water. These can be found online as well as in home improvement and home goods stores.

4.  Another way water is conserved is in toilets. Many people share the same sentiments with water-efficient toilets, the amount of water used is just not enough. In Japan, the toilets are already very high tech with their functions similar to a bidet. The Japanese equivalent is a wash-let, which is a toilet that has all the water usage associated with toilet use in one place. It works by having the water used to wash hands be reused as the water that flushes the waste. The environmental impact of modern style wash-lets is different from regular western flush toilets. They use less water than old toilets, and the self-cleaning options also reduce the amount of detergent. Some toilets even change the amount of water for the flush depending on the need. They may even use less toilet paper. While these toilets are used in Japan, they are available in the U.S and homeowners here are increasingly using them.

3.  Toilets are getting another makeover in places that receive a lot of rain. Several LEED buildings are using toilets that function like the regular toilets westerners are used to, but use rainwater in the toilet so no culinary grade water is wasted. The water is lightly treated so it is safe and then sent to the toilets. The pipes used are colored clearly and made separate so there is no cross-contamination. This is popular in places such as New York. These can be obtained through green plumbing contractors.

2.  Outdoor water use is another area where technology has helped. Landscaping certainly helps in water use, but the ways in which everything gets watered also matters. The more sophisticated irrigation systems feature moisture-sensing timers that not only water at the right time, such as late night and early morning, but also only when deemed as needed with moisture sensors in the ground. If it rains the night before, the system shuts off until the ground is sufficiently dry. Some models do even more by allowing programs to serve new landscaping plans and plants. These can also be bought through green plumbing contractors.

1.  Similar to other water reuse systems, some water is caught using barrels and other devices. They are used to use and store storm water. Most states are allowing these to be used by revising their water rights systems because of the common good that happens from using these. These are usually found at a home’s roof and gutter system and near the side of the home or Garage Door. This is often preferable to greywater systems because of the ease of use for landscaping. LEED and green building experts and contractors are knowledgeable in this and can provide them for you. With these new possibilities in mind, there are all kinds of ways to be empowered about water use and conservation. Soon, the bathrooms, washers, and landscaping uses will have enough improvements that they may work even better than the standard pieces of the past. The market prices are also changing to be in the consumer’s favor as well.

Chris Keenan is a green and general blog writer. He writes for many sites including Precision Garage Door. Chris also maintains a personal blog at The Keenan Cookbook.