Living green indoors is just as important as living green outdoors. From kitchen taps to toilet bowls, how we use and treat water inside the home can limit pollution and waste. This spring, consider the following actions to protect and conserve water in your home:
Limit tap time and check for leaks
Household leaks constitute up to 14% of all indoor water use. Remember to check your faucets and toilets at least once a year to reduce the waste of drinking water. Ensure you know the location of your main water shut-off in case of an emergency water leak
Turning the faucet off while you are lathering soap, brushing your teeth or shaving is part of living green. Strive for five-minute showers to reduce up to 10,000 liters of water per year! In the kitchen, scrape your dishes into the compost bin and plug the sink when hand washing to avoid leaving the water running. To maximize water savings, fill the dishwasher and run full loads rather than washing dishes by hand.
Also, always check your water bill for abnormal consumption. CRD Water Services customers can also learn how to check for overall leaks on their bills. Be a leak detective to save drinking water and your hard-earned money, too!
Use drain-friendly house cleaners
Many household cleaners and solvents are hard on the environment, and once dissolved in water cannot be removed by treatment processes. This means that anything that goes down a drain inside our homes can end up in the ocean or in our groundwater. Whether you’re connected to sewer or on septic, what you put down the drain makes a difference.
It’s easy to live green with environmentally-safe and inexpensive alternatives to most household cleaners. Lemon juice, baking soda and vinegar are just some of the natural products used in recipes you’ll find in the Clean Green Cookbook available here, which features drain friendly cleaners.
Choose high efficiency fixtures and appliances
When you are looking to do a renovation, or looking for ways to live a bit more green, consider replacing outdated and inefficient water fixtures in your home with high-efficiency models. Increasing the efficiency of your home will save water, energy and money. Older showerheads have flow rates as high as 20 liters per minute (L/min) compared to new showerheads using between 5.6-7.6 L/min! A family of three can save about 11,000L of water a year by installing a high-efficiency showerhead. Look for the WaterSense label on fixtures to identify water-efficient products.
If you are looking for a new home appliance, like a dishwasher or washing machine, consider a high-efficiency appliance with ENERGY STAR® Most Efficient product specifications. ENERGY STAR® washing machines use up to 40% less water, 50% less energy to dry clothes as more moisture is spun out and less detergent.
Together we can Live Green and build a vibrant, livable, and sustainable region. Save water and prevent pollution at home! For even more tips on how to easily and affordably Live Green, visit at www.crd.bc.ca/livegreen
