Climatic changes and erratic monsoon patterns have made it imperative for people to conserve water and harvest rainwater. Using water judiciously at home is one of the easiest ways out.
Repairing leaking taps, using flush tanks that have a capacity of 9 litres per flush or less, rainwater harvesting, using bucket to clean vehicles, recycling water and encouraging housemaids to save water by giving incentives are some of the easy ways to save water at home.
First, conduct a household audit of every day use of water. Once areas of wastage are identified, start looking for methods of prevention. To start with, repair all leakages at home. Ideally, you should have a flush tank that pumps 9 litres per flush or less. But in case you old flush tank with a capacity of 14 litres or more, place a brick or fill up a one litre plastic bottle and keep it in the tank to reduce water flow.
Rooftop rainwater harvesting should be taken up by an individual or a society. The water thus collected can be stored in a sump. If 10 people have rooftop rainwater harvesting in place, several people can benefit from it. Also, those having lawns at home can opt for a variety of grass that requires less water.
Stop using pipes for cleaning cars, cycles or motorbikes. Instead, use a bucket. Also, instead of using clean water, use secondary source -bathing water – for cleaning and gardening. The other simple way is to not lip the glass. The leftover water can be reused.
The standard usage of 135 litre water per day per person can be reduced. As per the calculation, 15 litres are required for cooking and drinking, 20 litres for bathing, 20 for washing clothes, 20 for cleaning utensils, 15 for cleaning floor and 45 litres for flushing toilets. This can be reduced to 100 litres per day. If 40 lakh people in the city do this, we will end up saving a lot of water.
water used in bathroom needs ecological treatment after which it can be used for gardening purpose, washing cars and partly in flush tanks. This treatment should be made mandatory.