Based on the Public Utilities Board (PUB)’s Household Water Consumption Study in 2018 / 2019, showering accounts for the highest water usage at home. Flushing takes up to 17% and the water used in the kitchen at 16%. An average person uses up to 141 litres per day in 2018. To put it into perspective, that’s about 94 bottles of coca-cola (1.5-litre size) per day!
While Singapore has a sustainable supply of water through these years, it’s up to each and every one of us in the community to help conserve it. As such, we’ve researched several ways to conserve water at home. Follow some of these tips if you want to save water or attempt to bring down your monthly water bills.
#1: REMEMBER W-A-T-E-R
As advised by PUB, they have come up with water-saving tips using the mnemonic W-A-T-E-R. Here’s a quick look:
- WASH clothes on full load. This means if you have to pile up laundry, here’s the reason to justify your procrastination. However, a full load does not mean overloading. Make sure they are about 3/4 filled so your clothes can swish-swash freely and be cleaned properly.
- ALWAYS use half-flush when possible. As we’ve mentioned earlier, flushing takes up to 17% of our total water usage. If you can’t reduce the times you visit the loo, then at least utilize the half-flush for liquid waste.
- TURN off the shower when soaping. If you have to take your own sweet time to soap and make sure you’re squeaky clean, turn off the tap while doing it.
- ENSURE tap is off when brushing teeth. Similar to the previous point, do not let water run unnecessarily if possible. If you have to, use a mug to contain the water you need to rinse your mouth.
- RINSE vegetables in a container. Again, this is similar to the concept of running water needlessly and mindlessly. In fact, you might get rid of sand and pesticides better by soaking in a container than washing it under running water.
#2: LOOK OUT FOR LEAKS
Wander why your sinks are never dry? Or the bathroom floors are always wet even after hours of not using it? It might be a leak somewhere so do a check to see where the source is and repair it.
I’m personally guilty of leaving water leaks untouched simply because the damage doesn’t seem big enough at that particular moment. But that one drop of water will become a bottle of water, eventually, litres and gallons wasted over time. So please don’t underestimate that small leak thinking that it’s insignificant. Every little drop adds up!
#3: REQUEST FOR A WATER-SAVING KIT
Image Credits: PUB
How about gifting yourself a free gift? Those without water-efficient faucets at home, you may request for a water-saving kit via PUB’s website. The set will come with three- or four-hole metal rings that you can attach to your tap or showerhead to regulate water flow. By using the kit, you can save up to 5% of your monthly water usage.
#4: REUSING WATER
There are different ways to reuse water. If you own freshwater aquariums, do not discard the water when cleaning and refilling. Use the ‘dirty water’ to water your plants instead. If you’re able to collect rainwater, you can also use that for your gardening needs too.
When showering, leave an empty bucket or two beneath your shower head and use the collected water to flush toilets or wash floors. You can also gather the water discarded from laundry to do the same. If you have any other innovative ideas of reusing water, do share it with us!
#5: BUY WATER-EFFICIENT PRODUCTS
We’re not asking you to shop online or head to the retail stores right away to buy yourself water efficiency labelling scheme (WELS) products. But the next time when your washing machine breaks down and you need a replacement, consider purchasing WELS rated products.
The water you save today means savings for tomorrow.