. The experts say the easiest way to save water is to install a water hippo in your toilet. According to the SA-based environmental education website urbansprout.co.za a toilet hippo is simply an object that takes up space in the toilet cistern so it doesn’t run full after every flush. In this way, every time someone goes to the toilet, up to 3 F is prevented from going down the drain. The saving amounts to about 20% of your total water consumption. Ever considered bending down the float arm in the cistern so inflow stops at a lower water level? Now there’s a thought!
. Taking a five-minute shower instead of a bath can save up to 400 litres of water each week. Attaching a slow-flow showerhead can change this number even more (don’t forget about aerators at the bathroom and kitchen sink, which “mixes” the pouring water with air bubbles, thus reducing the volume of water used for washing hands, for instance).
. Rainwater harvesting and greywater systems are next on the list. The first entails containing rain water for household use, which was funnelled through gutters from the roof, for instance, in anything from massive green water tanks to home-made containers such as large buckets or old baths.
The latter entails reusing water from the shower, bath or washing machine to water the garden. Carrying bucketloads of water to the flowerbed is the simplest form of a greywater system, but much more sophisticated options can be a permanent measure. According to Urban Sprout grey water amounts to 50% to 80% of household wastewater.
. Another habit with a huge impact is not letting water run down the drain. Brusing teeth, washing off vegetables, rinsing dishes – all should be done with the taps shut tight, in the sink or in a bowl.
