439 days ago
SA Water Week: Greenpop’s tips on how to conserve water.

Did you know that today, at least 400 million people live in regions with severe water shortages?
Yet, every day people continue to make simple mistakes like leaving the water on while brushing
their teeth, wasting 15 litres alone. Simple mistakes like these can add up to a lot of water waste.
Help conserve water by making these easy changes in your home:

In the home
- Only run your washing machine and dishwasher when they are full. This saves water wasted
from doing multiple loads. If you are washing your dishes by hand, avoid leaving the tap
with rinsing water.
-  Fix any leaking taps or pipes. Even a small leak from a tap can waste up to 75 litres of water
a day.
- Install water-saving shower heads and aerators. Additionally, cut down your time in the
shower and avoid taking baths. Taking even a 5-minute shower can waste up to 150 litres of
water. Worse, a bath can use twice as much.
- Turn off the water while shaving, washing your face, or brushing your teeth.
In the Garden or Outdoors:
- Water your plants early in the morning or in the evening. This will reduce the amount of
water that evaporates throughout the day.
- Only water your lawn when necessary.
-  Use mulch around plants and trees to hold water in the soil. Furthermore, when replacing plants try to drought-resistant indigenous plants and shrubs which require less water.

-  Use grey water. Grey water is water that is recycled from domestic activities such as
showering or doing laundry. Using this water in your garden is a way to recycle and
ultimately conserve water – just make sure you don’t use any harsh chemicals.
- When washing your car, avoid using the hose excessively. Keep soapy water in a bucket and only use the hose for a quick rinse.

These tips have been provided by Megan Petrous for Greenpop: www.greenpop.org