How do you conserve water?

[miss_thenorth]

at our house, we do not have a well, not do we have town water. We truck in our own water from a bulk watering station in town 2km away.

We have a 3300 gallon holding tank buried which supplies water to the house and barn. We are very conscious of how much water we use/waste.

things we do to conserve water are: when waiting for shower to heat up--colect the cold water in pitchers/buckets, and use this water for flushing toilets, watering plants, dogs water, chickens water, etc. We usually collect 6 litres before the water is hot. We all take our showers at around the same time, so the water is hot from one shower to the next. During showers, water is turned of during lather time.

Water is never free running when brushing teeth, doing dishes etc. We have low flush toilets. Discretion is used when it comes to flushing toilets. Our water pressure is low, and we have aerators on all of our faucets so less water is used. Low flow shower heads etc.

i have a dishwasher, but it is never used. My water pressure is too low for it to work effectively--no bother to me either. Kids are my dishwashers. When I hand wash dishes, I only put about 4 inches of water in the sink, and wash dishes with this. Two inches in the rinse sink if that. I have a front loading washing machine that uses very little water.

That's about all I can think of for now.

 

[sylvie]

i have a dishwasher, but it is never used. My water pressure is too low for it to work effectively--no bother to me either.

I wondered about this but it seemed too trivial for me to start a thread.
I have a well with low pressure but, boy, would I love a dishwasher! I guess it won't work.

 

[miss_thenorth]

i have a dishwasher, but it is never used. My water pressure is too low for it to work effectively--no bother to me either.

I wondered about this but it seemed too trivial for me to start a thread.
I have a well with low pressure but, boy, would I love a dishwasher! I guess it won't work.

for my dishwasher--there is a funnel at the bottom that is supposed to shoot up with he water pressure so the dishes get a good rinse--esp the dishes on the top rack. The funnel never goes up high enough to clean the undersides of the dishes on the top rack. there is also water shot down from the top--but it does no good for the underside of the dishes. Hubby says he can adjust the pressure on the tank--but it has never been an issue for me --except on Christmas and Thanksgiving-when I have 10 peoples dirty dishes plus cooking pots.

 

[GoddessDanu]

Just a quick question on the topic of water conservation....

If I were to use my leftover dishwater to flush the toilet, would that save more water than just flushing it the normal way? I've been pouring my leftover dishwater down the toilet and it flushes itself. Am I conserving water or wasting my time?

Thanks!

 

[dacjohns]

Just a quick question on the topic of water conservation....

If I were to use my leftover dishwater to flush the toilet, would that save more water than just flushing it the normal way? I've been pouring my leftover dishwater down the toilet and it flushes itself. Am I conserving water or wasting my time?

Thanks!

If it is saving you from flushing after other uses of the toilet you are saving water. If you are dumping dishwater into the toilet bowl full of "clean" water then you are wasting your time.

 

[elijahboy]

the only thing i have done is put a 1/2 gallon milk jug filled with water from years ago in my toilet tank so I know Im flushing 1/2 gallon less when i push that lever

 

[FarmerChick]

I don't have to conserve too much.
NC was in drought for a while, but MY water table in my well is fine. No pressure problems ever and never had a well problem.

But I conserve the usual way.

Take shorter showers. Low flow head.

Both toilets are the low water type.

I don't water the lawn.

Stopped with flowers in containers that require constant watering, now all flowers and ornamentals go into the ground....only buy drought resistant type ornamentals.

Have automatic waterer for animals. That way I don't have to wash the water troughs and rinse and clean. The automatic water bowls are smaller, fast to clean and use less water for cleaning.

Need to get this installed for hogs now.

Do not use the dishwasher. Maybe 2 times per year. Only 3 of us so I wash a small amt. of dishes and I know I use less power and water doing them in the sink.

Baths for Nicole are only 1/3 filled. Never fill the tub.

Take car/truck/horse trailer etc. thru car wash. Water is recycled and it is so cheap and easy.




So basically I am just conscious of what I can do to save water. I don't pay for it and my well is perfect even in drought times, but conserving for everyone's use is the key to being environmentally friendly as you can.

 

[big brown horse]

We have rain barrels that provide water to all the herd animals from October-April or so.

I never water the "yard". We did have a very hot dry summer and I did slow drip some of the young apple trees that were looking dry in the orchard.

All summer long (when it was warm) I encouraged everyone to take "Navy showers". Now it is a bit too cold in the house to do it. Our toilets are "low water" types too, the shower heads just drip b/c of the low flow heads. :/ Have to say it is not my favorite way to shower, but you have to do what you have to do.

At our last house we had this gi-normous tub...and we never used it. My Mom told me to fill it up, and add some fish...smart woman!

We have well water and I am paranoid that the aquifer will dry up one day...even though we get enough rain. It has changed my whole view on water. I always conserved it, but now I'm a bit obsessed with it.

 

[ducks4you]

Last night's watered down tea leftovers (in glasses) ALWAYS get poured in the indoor plants to water them.

Chicken's water often comes from the horse water tank.

Horse water tank is filled from cistern, which runs from a pump in the basement, which I CAN'T miss because my mud room (where I enter and exit to feed animals) is also in the basement.

(This is starting to sound like a "Rube Goldberg")