MNN - Mother Nature Network

If you live in California, there’s a good chance that by summer, you’ll be required to conserve 20 percent of your water because of drought conditions. Where I live, there are no drought warnings, but I need to remember that all of the water that goes down the drain in my home has to go to a treatment plant to get cleaned and put back into the system. That takes a lot of resources and energy to do.

• Fill your sink with just enough water to do the job
• Don’t allow the water to run continuously while you’re rinsing. Only run it when there are dishes under the faucet.

• Don’t pre-rinse your dishes if you don’t need to.
• Run the dishwasher only when you have a full load.
• Use the shortened wash cycle.

• Use it to water indoor and outdoor plants, making sure it has cooled first.
• If you’re going to use a garbage disposal, pour your cooking water in it while its on instead of using fresh water.

• Capture cold water from the faucet as you’re waiting for the water to get hot. Keep it in a pitcher in the fridge for drinking water or to use as cooking water.
• Install a low-flow faucet.
• Make sure your faucets or pipes aren’t leaking. If they are, repair them.
• Start a compost pile instead of putting scraps down the garbage disposal and using water to dispose of them.
• Plan your meals so you don’t end up defrosting food in water at the last minute. Pull food out of freezer 24 hours ahead of time and allow to defrost in the fridge .

Image: Randy Son of Robert