We are well into the monsoon season, but Bengaluru has barely seen rainfall. A few drizzles, an odd heavy downpour, and scarce intermittent showers so far! Is that enough to refill our water reservoirs and ensure uninterrupted water supply? Sadly, no.

The damage is too serious, and we can no longer rely on rain to help us get out of this crisis. Estimates suggest that Bengaluru and Hyderabad will very soon suffer the same fate as Chennai if things don’t change drastically. Of course, measures such as planting more trees and digging water harvesting pits will help, but there’s much more we can do as house owners to conserve water at the moment.

Without realizing it, we end up wasting too much water in the house, especially in the bathroom and kitchen. We shall speak about them today to help you cut down on water wastage. Every single drop literally counts now.

In the bathroom

We use water most extensively in the bathroom and sometimes, in ways that we absolutely don’t need to. A few conscious measures every day can help our city in a huge way.

  • Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth.
  • Turn the tap off while scrubbing your hands with soap before washing them.
  • Use a bucket instead of a shower to take a bath. Or, make sure you take shorter showers. Try limiting the time to 5 minutes or less.
  • Don’t flush every time you use the toilet. Sometimes, a mug of water is enough.
  • Fill a plastic bottle with sand or pebbles and place it in the flush tank. This will cause less water to accumulate in each cycle, thereby reducing the amount of water flushed. This is an excellent DIY tip that has proven to save many liters of water.

In the kitchen

The kitchen is number 2 on our list. Between cooking and washing utensils, we tend to use quite a lot of water. Here’s how we can save some of it.

  • Do not throw away the water you soak pulses and lentils in. You can use it to water your plants.
  • Turn the faucet off when you scrub the utensils. If the tap keeps running the whole time, imagine the amount of water going to the drain!
  • If you use a dishwasher, make sure you operate it on full load.

General

  • Don’t use a hose to wash the car. Use a bucket and a mug instead. It may seem like additional work, but it will save a lot of water.
  • Water all your plants in the morning so that water does not evaporate.
  • Recycle water as much as possible. For example, if you have a garden, the water from the bathroom’s sink can go to the garden directly.
  • If you are buying a new home soon, make sure you choose faucets that don’t use too much water. Smaller showerheads, smaller faucets, and low flush models should be your go-to options.
  • If possible, invest in rainwater harvesting.

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IMPORTANT: Check your entire house for leaks. Even a faulty faucet that drips can droplets is a huge culprit. Simply by fixing the leaks, you will save a lot of water and money!

Address Maker makes it a point to provide rainwater harvesting pits in all its projects. Most of its projects are also certified to be green projects that take measures to save the environment. We urge all our residents and readers to take the aforementioned measures at home. We are in the middle of a crisis situation, and it is up to us to get out of it.