Thursday, December 26, 2013

Saving Water While Renting An Apartment

By Newton Kershaw


The same with home owners, apartment renters can do their part to conserve water by being cognizant of their water usage during daily activities. Each person uses a large amount of water each day, whether it is drinking water, water used to bathe or clean, water used in toilets and water used on plants. By being aware of where this water is being used, you can then take some simple steps to cut back on your water usage. Everyone benefits when everyone does their part, especially in a drought.

A simple step that can be taken is to change out the standard showerhead for a low-flow model. Many apartments standardize low-flow showerheads throughout the complex, but it's a good idea to get one if your apartment does not come stocked with one. It can be surprising how much water is saved with each shower. Another option you could try is to turn the water off while you shave or lather up. While you're at it, a specialized water heater that only heats water at the time is needed is a good way to save electricity.

There are many times when we may be wasting water without realizing it. While brushing your teeth, you may see that you left the faucet on, or that you forgot to turn off the water while filling a pot, and it's spilling over and going down the drain. It can help to be cognizant of opportunities to save water.

You can also take a look at your various household appliances and see how much water they are using. A simple change of settings on some can reduce their footprint. You might not need to pre-rinse your dishes, for example, if you use higher heat settings on the dishwasher and complement it with an adequately effective cleaning tab or solution. You can reduce the number of total wash cycles for both the dishwasher and laundry machine each week by only running them when you have a full load of laundry or dishes.

Of all the household items that take more water than need, the toilet is usually the biggest offender. While many newer toilets conform to more efficient standards, many older ones still waste gallons of water with each flush. One easy life hack is to put a heavy object in the toilet tank to fill space, thereby dropping the amount of water that fills the tank and flushes.

This is an easy modification that can be easily reversed. As long as you're careful to not let any small pieces get sucked down, it won't damage the toilet.

Waste not, want not, they say, and that can apply to water. If you take advantage of rain, you can use it to water your plants instead of using tap water. Simply place them outside during a rainstorm. If you place a bucket or other receptacle out as well, you can save some rainwater for plants, or even for cleaning outdoor furniture or muddy boots.

There are many ways to cut back on water usage. If others in the building see what you're doing, they might even be inclined to adopt some of your methods. Saving water reduces the cost of utilities. But also, the more people that participate, the better of planet Earth is.




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