Every month, every family facesthe need to allocate part of their budget to pay for mandatory expenses related to living in an apartment, and pays bills for heating, electricity, etc. According to statistics, third place on this list is occupied by expenses related to the use of water for household needs. Perhaps the monthly amount of these expenses is not very large, especially compared to other indicators. However, if you add up the annual family expenses only for paying for water and sanitation, the resulting figures, to put it mildly, will cause surprise with a minus sign. Indeed, we are little interested in the question of how to save water. Why this happens is not at all difficult to understand. The roots of the answer are in the Soviet past, under the influence of which our mentality was formed. Of course, even at that time, calls were heard from TV screens that water should be saved. You can even remember cartoons that promoted a similar approach. However, the amount of utility bills in those days did not have a significant impact on the budget of the average Soviet family. It is for this reason that our parents did not think much about the question of how to save water. Modern realities are fundamentally different from those that existed two or three decades ago. Tariffs for the use of both natural and artificial resources are steadily increasing. The income level of many families does not allow them to pay utility bills with the same ease and carelessness. And global trends are aimed at saving fresh water resources, since their quantity is steadily decreasing. And what do we ourselves feel when, for some reason, the water we are accustomed to suddenly disappears from the tap in our apartment? Naturally, this deprives us of our usual comfort and creates significant inconveniences, even when such a situation lasts no more than a few hours. But it is impossible to imagine what will happen to modern humanity if fresh water becomes a real deficit. Therefore, let's try to make a personal contribution to the cause of saving water resources, because this will also significantly reduce the costs of the family budget and direct the freed up funds into another useful channel.

Control - the key to successful savings

First of all, it is worth paying attention to the readings.meters installed in most modern apartments, and also take note of the amount of the last payment for water in the monthly receipt. Do not be lazy to write down these figures, because such accounting will help to create a real picture of how much money your family has managed to save over several months. The second mandatory step should be checking the plumbing equipment in your apartment for possible uncontrolled leaks associated with malfunctions. This is quite easy to do, because all meters have water movement indicators. Make sure that the taps are securely closed and record the readings of the devices. After a couple of hours, check if they have remained unchanged. If the answer is yes, then you can rest assured - you have everything under control. And if the meter readings have changed, then it is worth finding out the reason. Carefully inspect the taps in the kitchen and bathroom. Keep in mind that any of them, if leaking, can use up to eight thousand liters of water per year. Be sure to check the drain tank, because if it is leaking, the costs increase by more than two hundred liters per day. It often happens that a toilet flush that seems to be working properly at first glance allows water to drain almost silently, making this process unnoticeable for us. To understand how things are in your case, you can use any food coloring or gouache to add color to the water in the cistern. As soon as it colors the toilet, you will immediately understand that there is a small malfunction that requires elimination. To do this, you can invite a specialist or involve your spouse. To make the saving process more successful, it is worth informing all family members living in the same apartment about it. Pay attention to how the taps are closed, because not only adults but also children use water. Therefore, they, just like you, should be comfortable and easy to cope with the existing plumbing. So, if all the above conditions are met, you can proceed directly to the methods of saving water and, accordingly, the family's budget. There are quite a few of them, but they are all divided into two general categories: the human factor and technical improvements.

How can anyone save water?

If we consider this method, then we will talk aboutabout personal participation in the process of saving all family members. Each of you should adhere to several necessary rules. Here are those that concern hygiene procedures and washing.

First of all, all members of your family need to understand that cold water is much cheaper than hot water, so it is better to use it more often.

Get used to brushing your teeth, including a crane only inbeginning and at the end of this hygienic procedure. You can use a glass. In this simple way, four people can save up to 750 liters of water per week.

Remind your husband about the need to shave when the tap is off. This will help reduce the weekly consumption by 380 liters.

Train your family members to shower, andnot in a full bath. The process itself should be shortened and the water should be turned on only at the beginning and at the end, when rinsing. This will save about 20 liters per person.

If you still prefer to wash in the bathroom, then fill it with 50%, than you can reduce the water consumption by the same 20 liters.

Try to use the washing machine only if it is fully loaded.

Do not throw garbage in the toilet - for this there is a special bucket. The need for frequent plums will disappear.

Now let's move on to how to do it correctly andyou can use water sparingly in the kitchen. This will also not be difficult if it becomes a useful habit for all members of your family. At first, of course, you will have to try, because it is not so easy to change the rules established over the years. However, you should not retreat, because saving water is a profitable and useful thing.

If your family washes dishes by hand, thenlearn how to do it right. To do this, you can use either a second sink or another suitable container, into which you should pour the required amount of water with detergent. It is here that you wash all the dirty dishes one by one. Then you need to rinse them with running water from the tap. To make the washing process less difficult, try not to let food residue dry in the plates.

Use a dishwasher is not everyonce after eating, but only when the load is complete. And the first and second way of washing dishes will save up to 60 liters of water per person per day.

Forget about defrosting meat andfish products with hot or cold water. This not only does not lead to savings, but is also harmful, because it promotes the reproduction of harmful microorganisms in meat and fish. You can leave the food for the night to defrost in the refrigerator or use a special microwave oven for this.

Vegetables and fruit wash in the sink, previously filling it with water, which you can then water the indoor plants.

Even if you can't use everything at oncethe above-mentioned ways of saving, then start with at least a few of the simplest ones. The results of your actions will immediately be reflected in the first receipt for payment of utility services. Perhaps this will become a good incentive to continue activities related to saving water in your family.

Techniques that help save water

These techniques are worth taking into account for those people,who are planning to renovate their apartment or simply want to update their plumbing equipment. After all, technical progress does not stand still, and many Western innovations for the economical use of natural resources (in this case, water) are already available for widespread use. Here are some of the simplest.

Mixer with one lever instead of two taps. It allows you to accelerate the process of mixing hot and cold water, thereby it quickly reaches the desired temperature. But the less time we spend on this process, the more economical the expense.

Modern shower head with aeration function.It will not only save you money, but will also make your shower more comfortable. The aerator saturates the water with air bubbles, which makes the jets softer and more voluminous.

Mixer with silicone stop. It will reduce the flow of water, reducing its jet, since under high pressure it takes on a more flat shape, thereby narrowing the gap in the aperture of the mixer.

Equipment with an infrared sensor. To supply water, you only need to bring your hands to the opening of the mixer, and by removing them, you stop the flow in the same non-contact way.

Toilet equipped with a combination systemflush. Often there is no need to use the full volume of the tank, so by installing such a plumbing innovation, you can use water more economically. But you can also reduce the volume of flush in a regular toilet. To do this, you need to place a container with liquid in the tank, for example, a plastic bottle.

In addition to these plumbing fixtures,In a modern apartment, you can use many others. For example, install water limiters on regular taps or a shower-effect nozzle in the kitchen. You can also buy faucets with a special flow interrupter. When choosing a shower head, give preference to one with a not very large diameter. In any case, you should not ignore the question of how to save water, because its irrational use, like other natural resources, will lead to their depletion and subsequent deficit. Already now in many cities the process of pumping out groundwater is much faster than they have time to restore their original volumes. This is a very dangerous phenomenon, because sooner or later the reserves will be exhausted and will no longer provide life for people. Already now, a third of the world's population has problems obtaining drinking water, even ghost towns have begun to appear, from which people left due to its lack. Therefore, it is necessary to save water resources not only in order to reduce the cost of paying utility bills. Since we are all conscious people, we must understand that a rational approach to the use of water in our time is becoming a vital necessity. Let's remember the responsibility for the fate of our planet, which lies with all people without exception. And the easiest way to do this is to save water, as the main source of life on Earth. We recommend reading:

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