I just finished reading what I consider to be an interesting article on an increasingly important topic:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/...rticle2360500/
The author describes her family's shift from typical consumers of water to experiencing scarcity.
Her family went from consuming (presumably) ~1600 to 100 litres of water during the day (within the domicile - this number does not account for public uses of water).
The author then superimposes the possible reality of water scarcity on her situation. Would the family be bathing with one litre of warm water in a bowl, as a regular thing? Would flushing the toilet mean carrying 20 litres - one fifth your daily water usage - to the toilet each time?
Of course, habits would change and sanitation practices would be amended.
Responsible water usage has been long inculcated into my mind. Not that I adhere to responsible practices all the time, but I make a valid effort to. I find the European influence in my life has had this result on me. I can only speculate, but in Europe, resource scarcity has been a much longer and more vivid reality than it has been in North America; where resource scarcity is still balked at by some today.
So, here is the question: What do you do to save water (If at all)? If you don't believe that responsible water usage is an obligation, why not?
Some things I do:
1. Limit my showers to about 3 mins. I also save my showers to the gym as I find I doddle less and finish quicker. This also saves me money on my utility bills. Additionally, I have a "pre-soak", after which I turn off the water, soap up, and then rinse.
2. This might be gross to some, but I won't flush urine. I find it wasteful to flush 20 litres of water just so the toilet bowl isn't off-yellow. There is no odour produced, and with the lid down, you wouldn't ever notice.
3. I am prudent with dishwashing. I will use a sponge soaked in water and soap to wash a substantial amount of dishes. I rinse quickly with cold water.
4. This isn't me, but my brother had a unique strategy (to the chagrin of his girlfriend) where he would shower with the drain plugged and use the leftover water and a bucket to flush the toilet. Something I would adopt in a hurry if my roommate agreed to it.
So what do you do? What don't you do? What is your attitude towards water usage?