Water, Water, just not Everywhere

As winter shakes her frosty view our way, we are confronted in Virginia with a water shortage. It's not bad yet but we are down. At the same time, the costs of utilities are on the rise and consumers are really starting to fret over the coming winter and rising expenses.

When it comes to water there are a few things we can do to conserve. I'm making my list and actively doing what I can to be a better consumer. Here are some of the things our household is in the process of checking off.

• Suit up and crawl under the house to inspect for hidden water leaks. While you are under there, wrap pipes and insulate where needed to conserve energy.


• Take up some space in the toilet. This is an old trick. Simply put a brick in the toilet or fill a soda bottle with some rocks. You will save the equivalent of the used space every time you flush the toilet. And if you can stand it, flush the toilet less often.


• Install water saving shower heads that can be turned off while you soap up. We have this type of arrangement in the RV and it works quite well. I went on ebay and ordered a simple replacement shower head that only uses 1 gallon of water per minute. That will be quite a savings for me over time.


• Replace the aerators on faucets with low flow ones. You will feel like you are using more water but will really be saving quite a bit. It's easy and can be done in just a few minutes for less than $5.


• Turn off the water when brushing teeth etc. Simple.


• Use a dishpan when washing dishes instead of running the water. Wash in one side and rinse in still water in the other instead of letting the water run. Let dishes soak a few minutes before starting to wash. Let the soap and water do the work for you.


• Stop using the garbage disposal and start composting your kitchen waste. It is better for the environment and uses less water.


• Don't water the lawn.


• Go ahead and drink the tap water! Put a pitcher in the fridge and you will always have a healthy, cold drink.

Those are just a few things we can do today. There are many more and I'll be back to share some of them later.

By the way, I love to garden and grow my own veggies, but never use the city water for the garden. I have installed rain barrels that catch the roof water. it's a great way to have plenty of water and be environmentally friendly.