It is time that everyone becomes proactive and does everything that they can to save water before there is more than a small water scarcity problem. Saving water and repurposing water like using grey water around the home should become the norm in all our lives.

Do not wait for there to be a problem before you cultivate the habit of not wasting water – water is life and it is a human right, so think of others who may not have the same easy access to potable drinking water that you have.

The best methods of saving water include:

  • Taking a shorter shower – showers can use between 6 to 45 litres of water per minute;
  • Placing a brick or a bottle of water in the cistern of your toilet to displace the water; this will reduce the amount of water used for each flush;
  • Save around 6 litres of water per minute by not letting the tap run while brushing our teeth;
  • Only use your dishwasher and washing machine for full loads;
  • Fix all leaking toilets, pipes and dripping taps;
  • Water your garden with a watering can rather than a hosepipe;
  • Install water-efficient showerheads, taps, and toilets.

Methods of collecting and using greywater around the home include:

  • Installing a full greywater system – this could be pricey though;
  • Connecting rainwater collection tanks to the gutters of your home to collect rainwater for watering your garden;
  • Use well-points or boreholes to water the garden;
  • Use grey water from baths, showers and washing machines to water gardens or flush toilets;
  • Place a bucket on the floor in the shower to collect water while showering;
  • Leave your bathwater in the bath and scoop out some to flush the toilet throughout the day or night; the rest can be used to water the garden;
  • Place a bucket under your geyser’s outlet pipe and use that water to water the garden.

You can also limit water usage by partially closing the municipal stop cock. This will cause a drop in pressure when water is used and will help save a lot of water especially when showering, washing hands, and wetting the toothbrush before brushing.

Get water cooler or bottled water coolers from Living-Water in London.