Stop the Water Waste

Water is one of the most valuable resources that we have on earth. Although 70 percent of the planet is covered in ocean, only one percent of the fresh water is available for human use, according to howstuffworks. Americans use a considerable amount of water compared to other countries.

According to Recycling and Waste Prevention, "The average North American consumes over 105 gallons of water a day compared to the average European’s consumption of almost 53 gallons. The average person living in sub-Saharan Africa consumes only 2.4 – 5.3 gallons per day."

This is an alarming disparity between the different countries. There are a few ways that people can help eliminate the waste of water in their homes.
One drip from a leaky faucet can waste almost 250 gallons of water, according to Nicor. That is 3,000 gallons of water in a year that is wasted down the drain.
Another waste of water is a leaky toilet. A leaking toilet can use 90,000 gallons of water in a month, according to treehugger.

Buying a new High-Efficiency toilet can eliminate some of the water waste in a home. High-efficiency toilets (HET) use less than 1.3 gallons per flush where the average toilet uses 1.6 gallons per flush. An average person flushes the toilet nearly 140,000 times, according to EPA. Installing a HET, can save 16,000 gallons per year for a family of four, according to Green Matters.


If you can't afford a new toilet there are devices that can reduce the amount of water used per flush. For an older toilet, take a unopened water bottle and place it in the tank. This will reduce the amount of water that is used. There are also displacement devices such as a toilet-tank dam will reduce the amount of water used per flush, according to Living Green.

By checking and making sure that you have no leaks in your house is going to save tons of water.

Low flow shower heads are another way that you can save water while showering. Low flow showerheads use less than 2.5 gallons per minute. "Shower water use can be reduced 50% with a low-flow showerhead, and can save up to 20,000 gallons of water per year," according to Living Green.

Low-flow showerhead with a shut-off valve are also better. They allows you to turn the water off and on instantly without having to readjust the water.

So look around the house to see how you can save some valuable water. Future generations will thank you.