5 tips for conserving water and helping the planet

We’ve always been told about the importance of saving water. Especially in Arizona (with scorching temperatures and minimal rainfall), it’s not hard to become concerned that we’re not wasting the water we have, and that we’re thinking of Mother Earth in the process. 

We all know of some of the standard recommended ways to save water (like shutting off the faucet when you’re brushing your teeth, or not filling up your sink with more water than what you need when washing dishes. But here are some additional ways to save water that you may not have thought of – all with the aim of conserving water and in the end, helping our planet. 

1. Limit shower length
   After a long workout or activities in the warm Arizona weather, it can be tempting to come home and take a long, relaxing shower. But the truth is, this wastes a lot of water. In fact, statistics show that the average shower lasts for 8 minutes and uses around 16 gallons of water. So, limit your shower length. You can still take a relaxing shower, but aim to get in, take care of business, and get out as soon as you can. This can save gallons upon gallons of whatever over time, and can be a simple way of doing your part to help conservation.
   

2. Check for leaky faucets
   Hear a drip, drip, drip coming from your bathroom faucet? Or maybe from your showerhead? How about in your kitchen? Make it a point to fix any leaky faucets immediately, and check other faucets for potential leaks. Rectifying the problem can often be as easy as simply tightening your faucet hardware, and usually only takes a couple of minutes. Just one drip per second can waste around 3,000 gallons of water a year! 
   

3. Wash your fruits and veggies in a bowl
   Before mealtimes, it’s a good idea to rinse the fruits and veggies that you’re about to prep. But leaving your faucet running while you do this can be wasteful (and frankly, time consuming). Why not fill a large bowl (or your sink) with water, and rinse all of your fruits and veggies quickly with a few dunks? As long as you’re not filling them with more water than you need, you’ll be saving all of the wasted water from the faucet blaring out tap water. Plus, this can be a simple way of multi-tasking and allowing you to do other things while your fruits and veggies are taking a bath.
   

4. Sweep you driveways and sidewalks
   If you’re a homeowner that takes pride in keeping their front driveway and sidewalks squeaky clean, it might be tempting to spray the hose on the concrete in your front yard to wash off any dirt or stains. However, while this can leave the front of your house spotless, it can definitely result in gallons of water used unnecessarily. Why not take a less wasteful approach and sweep your driveway and sidewalks with a large industrial broom? This can help to accomplish your end goal of cleaning up any dirt, and can help you from using up water when the use case isn’t quite as important as others.
   

5. Install an automatic shut off nozzle on your hose
   An automatic shut off nozzle makes it so that pressure must be applied to the hose in order to get it to spray. Otherwise, the hose will immediately shut off. This is ideal, since it can be fairly easy to get distracted and leave your garden hose on for longer than anticipated. Couple that with the fact that these typically range from around $10 - $20, and you have a helpful solution that won’t break the bank. 

By changing a few small, simple things around the house or in your daily routine, you can help to save gallons of water every week. Over time, that can equate to a huge dent in the water being used by your household and, cumulatively, the state. Try to make it a point to add at least a few of these solutions to your home, and get your family involved as well. Together, we can make sure there’s enough fresh water to last for countless generations to come.