Five Easy Water Saving Hacks

We’re all trying our best to conserve water. But let’s face it. Sometimes the water saving tips we see involve an investment of time and resources that we just don’t have (think installing a drip irrigation system in your yard).

And, while a drip irrigation system is important and an excellent long-term solution to conserving water in your yard, here are five easy water saving hacks that everyone in your household (kids, too!) can start doing today to conserve water:

The Water Can Wait – While taking your morning shower and washing your hands throughout the day, turn off the water while you soap up. You could save up to 10 gallons of water each time you shower and almost 6 gallons of water/day when washing your hands.

Bathe with a Bucket – While the water is heating up in the shower, place a bucket under the spigot or shower head to catch the water before getting into the shower. Once you’re in the shower, place a second bucket at your feet to catch the excess water. If you’re able to fill two buckets, you could collect 10 gallons every time a family member showers!

From Pasta to Plants – Is mac and cheese the meal of choice for your kids? Is spaghetti your “go to” dinner? Don’t throw the used pasta water down the drain. Instead, place a pot under the colander to capture the water and then use that water for your outside plants. Depending upon how often your family eats pasta, you could save several gallons of water/week.

Cooks Can Capture, Too! – How often do you wash fruits or steam/boil vegetables and don’t even think about capturing and reusing the excess water to give your plants a drink? Next time, fill a shallow bowl with water to wash your fruits and vegetables and save the water used to cook your veggies. If your family is eating fruits and veggies at every meal, you could capture several gallons of water a week.

Drink Every Drop – When you’re hot and tired, a big glass of cold water sure sounds great! But next time you get a drink of water, don’t let the tap run until the water’s cold. Instead, fill a reusable container with water and place it in the refrigerator. Your cold drink of water will be waiting for you in the fridge!

The bottom line is that we all need to get serious and be more creative in our water saving behaviors. Conserving water needs to become a way of life here in LA because every drop counts. Encourage your family and friends to adopt these water conserving hacks, and you’ll be well on your way to saving both water and money!

Do you have a creative water saving hack that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you at lastormwater@lacity.org.