Efficient use of Water

In Toilets

• Toilets account for up to 30% of all indoor water use
• Flush tanks in older model of toilets use 13 to 25 litres of water per flush, that is, as much as 39 to 75 litres per person per day
• Replacing an old toilet with a new model can save 21 to 57 litres per person per day.
• In a typical household with 5 persons, this means a possible saving of 36,750 to 99,750 litres of water per year, cutting both your water and wastewater bills
• The savings can be achieved by installing low-flow toilets that requires only 6 litres of water per flush
• When installing a low-flow toilet in places with a low drainage gradient (for example, basements), pressurized model should be used
• On an average, 20% of all toilets leak. Therefore, check toilets periodically to ensure there are no leaks
• If you have an old type of toilet with bigger capacity flush tank, you can reduce the amount of water used by placing a sealed water-tight plastic bag with 3 to 5 litres of water in it inside the tank to reduce the holding volume of the tank. By this, quantity of water flushed down will reduce by 3 to 5 litres each flush
• Do not throw trash in the toilet as this can take additional quantity of water to flush the trash down

In Showers and Wash Basin Taps

• Keep a 20 litre bucket below the shower and fill it by opening the shower. If the bucket fills in less than 2 minutes, replace the shower head with an efficient shower head having a flow rate of less than 10 litres per minute
• Always take a quick shower rather than a bath and save an average of 75 litres of water.
• Install aerators on your kitchen and bathroom faucets to reduce indoor water use by as much as 4%
• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth or shaving and save more than 19 litres per day 
• Clean vegetables in a sink or pan partially filled with water rather than running water from the tap
• Reuse the water that vegetables are washed in for watering houseplants or for cleaning.
• If you wash dishes by hand, rinse them in a sink partially filled with clean water instead of under running water
• Instead of waiting for tap water to get cold enough for drinking, keep a bottle of water in the refrigerator

In Dishwashers

• Only run your dishwasher when it is full to make the best use of water, energy and detergent
• Cut down on the amount of rinsing you do before loading the dishwasher. Most modern dishwashers do an excellent job of cleaning dishes, pots and pans all by themselves
• When purchasing a new appliance, look for one offering several different cycles.
• This will allow you to select more energy and water efficient cycles when heavy duty cleaning is not required

In Clothes Washers

• Wait till you have a full load of laundry before running the machine to save both water and energy. If you can't wait for a full load, use the right water level to match the size of the load.
• When in the market for a new machine, consider a high efficiency model that will use an average of 30% less water and 40-50% less energy.

Other

• Insulate your hot water pipes and your electric water heater. Insulation will reduce the amount of time it takes for hot water to reach the tap, saving water and energy.
• If in the market for a new water softener, consider one with a "hardness sensor" that will automatically trigger regeneration as needed. This type of softener will make the most efficient use of both water and salt.

Facts:

• Clothes washers can use as much as 80 -100 litres of water per cycle and dishwashers as much as 35 litres per cycle.
• A full dishwasher is more water efficient than washing the same load by hand.
• Energy efficient appliances are usually water efficient too.

In Irrigation

General Watering

• Water before 8 A.M. or after 6 P.M. and avoid watering on windy days.
• Water in several short sessions rather than one long one. For example, three ten minute sessions spaced 30 minutes to an hour apart will allow your lawn or plants to better absorb moisture than one straight 30 minute session.
• Only water when your lawn or plants are thirsty. Over watering promotes shallow root growth making your lawn or plants less hardy. (To determine if your lawn needs to be watered, simply walk across the grass. If you leave footprints, it's time to water.)
• Install moisture sensors in each irrigation zone (sunny, shady, etc.) to better determine irrigation needs.

Sprinklers/Sprinkler Systems

Check sprinkler system valves periodically for leaks and keep the heads in good repair. Adjust the timer on automatic sprinklers according to seasonal water demands and weather conditions. Install a rain shutoff device on automatic sprinklers to eliminate unneeded applications. Make sure your sprinkler is placed so it only waters the lawn, not the pavement. Avoid sprinklers that spray a fine mist, which increases
evaporation.

Drip Irrigation

Install a drip irrigation system for watering gardens, trees and shrubs. Drip irrigation provides a slow, steady trickle of water to plants at their roots through a network of hidden pipes and hoses. The systems are regulated by a controller that can be adjusted for different levels of watering according to the needs of the plants. Drip irrigation systems reduce over watering, inefficient watering, weed growth, and the time and
labor involved in hand watering.

Facts : As much as 30% of water can be lost to evaporation by watering the lawn during
midday.

In Landscaping

• Maintain a lawn height of 2.5 to 3 inches to help protect the roots from heat stress and reduce the loss of moisture to evaporation.
• A void planting turf in areas that are difficult to irrigate properly such as steep inclines and isolated strips along sidewalks and driveways.
• Aerate clay soils at least once a year to help the soil retain moisture.
• Promote deep root growth through a combination of proper watering, aerating, appropriate fertilization, thatch (grass clippings) control, and attention to lawn height.
• A lawn with deep roots requires less water and is more resistant to drought and disease.
• Mulch around plants, bushes and trees to help the soil retain moisture, discourage the growth of weeds, and provide essential nutrients.
• Plant in the spring or fall, when watering requirements are lower.
• When choosing plants, keep in mind that smaller ones require less water to become established.
• Use well / bore-well water to water your garden
• Use porous materials for walkways and patios to keep water in your yard and prevent wasteful runoff.

Fact : Landscaping accounts for 20-25% of all residential water use and provides the best
opportunity for water conservation at home.

In General Outdoor use

• Wash your car with a bucket of soapy water and use a spring-loaded nozzle to stop the flow of water from the hose between rinsing.
• Clean driveways and sidewalks with a broom instead of the hose.
• Check for leaks in outdoor faucets, pipes and hoses.
• Prevent the creation of leaks by shutting off and draining water lines to outside spigots in the winter.
• Cover your spa or pool to reduce evaporation. An average size pool left uncovered can lose as much as 3,785 litres of water per month.
• Also, check your spa/pool for leaks and have them repaired promptly.
• Don’t run water when washing the dishes, brushing your teeth, washing your hands or face or shaving or brushing.
• Close taps tightly
• Replace damaged/leakage pipes, taps, valves to avoid overflow and wastage
• A leaking toilet can waste up to 16,000 litres of water per year
• Avoid using pesticides, herbicides and fungicides in the garden for they seep into the garden and pollute ground water

Efficient use of Electricity

In Lighting

• For exterior lighting it is best to use florescent lamps because of their long life. In cold climate areas use a lamp with cold-weather ballast
• Turn off lights that are not needed, like in unused rooms
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with new, energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights.
• Replace all bulbs with lowest acceptable wattages
• Use timers or motion detectors on lamps that are used for security lighting
• Use natural daylight as much as possible
• Try to use one large bulb rather than several smaller ones
• Clean light bulbs regularly, since dirt diffuses light and decreases illumination

In Heating

The third highest use of indoor water is bathing, and because most of us like to use warm water when we bathe, it's also the second highest use of energy in the home.

Use solar water heaters instead of electric heaters to save energy. In a typical household of 5 persons, if an electric heater is used to heat about 200 litres of water bathing, it amounts to using about 3400 units of electricity per year. Assuming the electricity is generated by a typical thermal power plant with an efficiency of around 30 percent, it means that the average electric water heater is responsible for about 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually which is almost equal to that produced by a modern automobile.



In Cooling

• Keep your AC’s thermostat set at 26 degree Celsius; or higher, and on "auto,"not "on." Each degree of less cooling can mean up to 9% savings on cooling costs.
• If your air conditioner is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it as it could be doubling your cooling costs
• Use ceiling fans to circulate air. They use only as much electricity as a light bulb and can make you feel comfortable at higher thermostat settings. Also, do not forget to turn fans off when you leave the room
• Clean or replace the filter of your AC monthly so that the AC runs efficiently
• Plan in advance. Schedule heat-producing activities like laundry, ironing, and cooking at cooler times of day when possible
• Turn off lights when not needed, especially incandescent and halogen types
• Be aware of temperatures! If it's cooler inside than outside, then close all windows and drapes. If it's cooler outside, open everything up to ventilate and let the outside air cool your house
• Use drapes, shades, awnings and reflective materials to reduce the heat entering through glass
• Use room exhaust fans in the kitchen, laundry and bathroom to pull hot, humid air up and out
• Apply weather stripping and caulking around all doors and windows to keep the chilled air inside your house
• Install a setback thermostat (Clock thermostat) that automatically switches your air conditioner to a higher cooling setting while you are away

In Cooking

• Use your microwave oven in place of your range oven whenever possible
• When you have to use your oven, cook more than one item at a time
• Use flat-bottom pans for best contact with the heat, with tight-fitting lids to keep the steam in the pan
• Adjust the flame so that it covers only the bottom area of the vessel and not protrude beyond to the sides
• Use smaller amounts of water for cooking; use the lowest possible heat to maintain boiling or steaming
• Preheat oven only 5 to 8 minutes when baking; do not preheat oven for broiling or roasting
• Self-cleaning ovens have thicker insulation and will retain heat, making these models more energy-efficient than regular ovens
• Use the self-cleaning feature on your oven only when absolutely needed
• Pressure cookers use much less energy than ordinary pots and pans
• Use small cooking appliances (electric fry pans, toaster ovens, etc.) whenever possible

In Refrigeration / Freezing

• Keep your refrigerator temperature at 3 or 4 degree Celsius
• Set your freezer temperature at -12 degree Celsius
• Defrost your freezer when ice or frost build up is 1/4" or thicker.
• Check your refrigerator/freezer door gasket periodically for signs of deterioration.
• Vacuum or brush the cooling coils (in back) at least every six months.
• Allow hot food to cool for no longer than a half hour before placing in refrigerator.

Trees

Here is a simple and effective brochure to encourage people and kids to plant more trees designed by the members of Usiru.

Recycle to regenerate

Young entrepreneurs Alejandro Velez & Nikhil Arora founded "Back to the roots" during their last semester at UC Berkeley in 2009.Inspired by the idea of producing local, fresh food from what was an urban waste stream, Back to the Roots has since grown to create the Grow-Your-Own Mushroom Garden which lets anyone, across US, to grow their own gourmet mushrooms at home as well!

Their efforts till date:

• On pace in 2012 to collect, divert and reuse 3.6 million lbs of coffee grounds this year from Peet's Coffee & Tea
• Help families grow over 135,000lbs of fresh food at home in 2011!
• Sustained 10 urban school & community gardens by donating BTTRs premium soil amendment
• Selling our kits at over 300 Whole Foods nationwide

Their interesting products include:

Mushroom kit

Self cleaning fish tank that grows food.

Hope this inspires every individual to work constantly towards recycling and reducing for a better tomorrow. Remember each small thing can make a big difference :)