4 Simple Water Conservation Strategies

Share:

4 Simple Water Conservation Strategies

Staff Writer · Feb 8, 2010

Water conservation is a way of life to those who are most successful with saving water. Whether it’s a lifestyle choice, a political statement or some other reason, working hard to use less water will reap big rewards in your bank account. Here are 4 water conservation strategies that can save you money:

1. Limit Use of Water for Laundry

Washing small amounts of clothes here and there is no way to conserve water. It’s a wasteful habit that you can change by making and keeping a regular schedule for doing laundry. Select one or two days per week to do laundry and try your best to stick to it. Allow enough time for your clothes to pile up so that you can run full loads when it’s time to wash. The amount of water per month you save with this one water conservation strategy is staggering.

2. Limit Use of Water when Washing Dishes

There are two ways to wash dishes, by hand or in the dishwasher. Wash dishes by hand if you’re serious about water conservation, and you’ll reduce water usage in the kitchen. However, if you’re not careful, you could use just as much water washing by hand as you would washing a load in the dishwasher. Don’t run water for every dish you wash and rinse. Instead, fill your sinks with water, one for washing and one for rinsing, and drain the water and start all over again when the water gets cold.

3. Limit Water Use in the Shower

On rare occasions, your landlord may allow you to adjust the water heater temperature so that you use less heat than normal. Many renters, though, are stuck with whatever temperature the water heater is set to, because they share it with other tenants in the apartment building. There is something you have control over, and that’s the amount of water you use when taking showers. Shorten the time it takes you to shower and you’ll save a lot of water. Over time, this water conservation strategy makes a significant difference.

4. Limit Use of Water in Food Preparation

You use a lot of water in food preparation, more than you might think. There are ways to cut down on the amount of water you use to cook. Work to limit your use of water in this area by doing the following:

  • Thaw meats in the refrigerator, don’t use water
  • Wash vegetables in a bowl and reuse that water in your indoor garden or for pets
  • Cook several dishes at once and reuse water when you can, instead of using water from the tap

It’s hard to cook and think of ways to conserve water at first, but in time you’ll get used to it. Keep working at it until you do.

There are many other benefits to water conservation, but few take priority over the opportunity to save money. Apply the amount you save to meeting your other apartment needs.

You might also like:

Moving into a new apartment or rental property can be both exciting and stressful. From packing up your belongings to coordinating logistics, there’s a lot to manage. However, one aspect that is often overlooked is what to expect on move-in day regarding the condition of your new unit. Surprisingly, according to recent surveys, a significant […]

Jessica Lee

 · Mar 12, 2024

On ApartmentRatings, real renters have the ability to rate and review their apartment communities based on their experience touring and or living in the communities. ApartmentRatings offers renters the ability to see what life is like at a community through a report card grade style format called epIQ. Every month we highlight apartment communities whose […]

Jessica Lee

 · Feb 28, 2024

On ApartmentRatings, real renters have the ability to rate and review their apartment communities based on their experience touring and/or living in them. ApartmentRatings offers renters the ability to see what life is truly like at a community through a report card grade style format called epIQ. Every month we highlight a major city across […]

Jessica Lee

 · Jan 31, 2024