Ever since I was little, I have learned to save and reuse water whenever it is possible. Especially in California where there have been many periods of severe droughts, efficient water usage is extremely important in order to do our part to cause less harm to the environment. Saving water is not a huge challenge, and it can be pretty fun once you start to get creative as to how you can reuse water around the house!
For example, I cook a lot at home and I tend to use quite a bit of water to wash my fruits and vegetables. So, in order to save water, I wash my produce in a colander over a large bowl so that the water I use to wash my food is collected underneath. When the bowl is full, I use that water to feed my plants and flowers! Even something like watering your plants with half-full plastic water bottles that are lying around helps put water to another good use instead of just pouring it down the drain. In addition, if I have any dirty dishes or pots that need to soak for a little bit, I will drain my pasta water and pour it in those pans to soak them in that hot water instead of having to use more water from the faucet. It’s a small thing to do, but it’s something I feel that does its part to help in the bigger picture!
Other ways that you can cut down on your water usage and lessen your water bill is to take shorter showers, use your water during non-peak hours, and avoid leaving the tap on when you brush your teeth.
Opportunities to save water are all around us, and all we have to do is be aware and take that opportunity when we see a chance to do so. By developing these habits to conserve water, we can hopefully strive to help the environment one bit at a time.