Definitive Guide to Reduce Water Wastage

Reduce Wastage of Water – the 1^st R of Water Conservation

Every day we read about the shortage of water in India and many other countries. Niti Aayog in one of its reports has suggested that as many as 21 cities will run out of ground water as early as 2020.  Such a scenario always brings up a question – is there really a shortage of water? And the simple answer is NO. There is no shortage of water. Nature gives us more water than our needs. Yes, nature is unable to give us more eater than our greed.

Quantity of freshwater is fixed – It reaches us after going through 2 cycles – Nature’s Water cycle and Manmade Water Cycle. One of the simplest ways to overcome the perceived shortage of water is to simply prevent wastage of water. It can save a lot of misery, effort and money. And numbers are huge.

How to Reduce Wastage of Water

To save water, we follow 5 R’s of Water Conservation. The 1st R of Water Conservation is – Reduce Wastage of Water.

This article is about how to reduce wastage of water. It is not yet a definitive guide on reduction of wastage of water. But it aims to be with the help of knowledgeable readers such as yourself. We have listed below ways in which we can achieve our objective of water conservation by reducing water wastage. I am sure that we have missed out a few wonderful ideas. It is my request that you share your ideas about how to reduce wastage of water in the comments section below or use the contact us page to share the ideas. We ill incorporate them in the article with due credit to you.

1. Save one bucket of water each day by reducing the consumption. In a city like Delhi which has a population of 18.5 million, if every person saves 1 bucket a day (15 liters of water), then 27.75 crore liters / day or 10128.75 crore liters / year are saved. This is equal to 42 days requirement of all families in Delhi. (Assumption each family has 5 members who require 130 liters of water every day). This is true for all cities irrespective of the population of the city. If each person saves one bucket of water every day, the total water saved will help sustain all families in the city for 42 days. The question that can be asked now is how you save at least one bucket water every day. Here are some ways to do it:

1. 1. 1. Use aerators in all taps.
      2. Use dual flush system in the toilets
      3. Use a water mug while brushing your teeth instead of using running tap water in the sink.
      4. Similarly use a water mug or tumbler while shaving and not let the tap water flow as you shave.
      5. It is advisable to turn of the tap while scrubbing / soaping hands. Turn on the tap only to wet the hand and later to rinse the soap off.
      6. Use bucket or a can to water plants instead of a hose pipe.
      7. Mop the floors to clean them instead of using a hose pipe with running water.
      8. Use water in bucket to clean your vehicles instead of hose pipe with running water.
      9. Take bath with water filled in a bucket instead of using a shower. However, if you do not spend too long in the shower (under 5 minutes) then shower bath may be used.
      10. Use a bucket or large container to rinse the utensils instead of using the running tap water.
      11. Use water efficient washing machines that consume lesser water per wash
      12. Use float valves and water level indicators in storage tanks so that there is no water overflow.
      13. Serve half glass of water to your guests. If they need more water, the’ll ask for it.

2. Reduce water wastage by ensuring that there are no leaking taps. If a tap leaks @ 1 drop / second, we lose 2000 litres/month. If there are two such taps in each house, Delhi loses 49.33 Cr litres / day or 18007 Cr litres / year which is equal to 74 days water requirement of all families of Delhi.

3. RO filters are a big source of water wastage. In areas where the water is supplied by the municipal corporations, a RO is not really required since the TDS level of the water is quite low. In such cases other form of water purifiers such as UV or gravity filters may be quite enough. However, if you must use RO water purifiers, then the reject water from the RO should be used again. There are many ways in which the RO reject water can be used to reduce the water wastage after the TDS level of the reject water is tested (Water with TDS below 2000 can be used for many purposes)

1. 1. 1. Cleaning the floor
      2. Watering the plants
      3. Washing vehicles
      4. Washing the utensils
      5. Flushing

As I have mentioned earlier, there must be many other ways in which water wastage can be reduced. Please share your ideas in the comments section below or write to us through the contact us page.