Everyone will know what Im talking about when I say this in fact we are all guilty of it at some point in our lives with most of us being serial offenders. You make your way innocently over to the kitchen sink for a glass of nice cool, refreshing water but the stuff coming out of the tap isnt quite up to your standards because it isnt cold enough for your liking so what do you do?, you let it run on the highest setting possible, it gushes out of the tap like a fire hydrant and then you continue to wait, and then some. While youre too busy waiting for your water to reach the optimum temperature to your satisfaction, youre unaware that perfectly fine drinkable water is just emptying down the drain.
Did you know just by doing this can actually waste up to a gallon of perfectly drinkable water at the expense of getting just one glass of cool water the way you like it? The exact opposite applies when you wait for the opportune time to plug the sink when the hot water finally kicks in to fill up the sink for your dishes.
Its not until you crunch the numbers and factor in the sheer number of people in your home that use this method of temperature selection and the amount of times each day this occurs when you realize that youve accumulated some pretty substantial water losses over the period of a year. Even the smallest amounts over time add up.
It's easy not to notice the amount of water going down the drain because you lack the awareness, and I don't blame you. If you could just plug up that sink, you would get a better understanding as to the true amount of water being wasted.
So whats the best solution to the problem? One simple way is the addition of a small sink for capturing excess water while you wait for your water to reach the right temperature to your liking.
By installing this small sink in the cabinet underneath your regular sink, you are creating a containment for the water rather than having it diverted directly to the sewer system. The water that is being contained, is called "gray water" and even though it may have some soapy residue, household cleaning products or organic matter mixed into it, this water is recyclable for use in watering your lawn or indoor plants.
Having this containment sink is a benefit as you always have a system in place to collect this water making it immediately available to use.
As for water that comes from washing machines, dishwashers and bathtubs, that water, because it is full of detergents and chemicals must be pretreated before use if you want to use it to greatest advantage. This process of pretreatment is quite time consuming and labor intensive.
Remember the entire planet is covered in water but less than 1% of the earths entire water supply is drinkable so the next time you find yourself at the kitchen sink, please spare a thought for the amount of water you use and try to set a goal to reduce it. Even a little difference goes a long way.
Did you know just by doing this can actually waste up to a gallon of perfectly drinkable water at the expense of getting just one glass of cool water the way you like it? The exact opposite applies when you wait for the opportune time to plug the sink when the hot water finally kicks in to fill up the sink for your dishes.
Its not until you crunch the numbers and factor in the sheer number of people in your home that use this method of temperature selection and the amount of times each day this occurs when you realize that youve accumulated some pretty substantial water losses over the period of a year. Even the smallest amounts over time add up.
It's easy not to notice the amount of water going down the drain because you lack the awareness, and I don't blame you. If you could just plug up that sink, you would get a better understanding as to the true amount of water being wasted.
So whats the best solution to the problem? One simple way is the addition of a small sink for capturing excess water while you wait for your water to reach the right temperature to your liking.
By installing this small sink in the cabinet underneath your regular sink, you are creating a containment for the water rather than having it diverted directly to the sewer system. The water that is being contained, is called "gray water" and even though it may have some soapy residue, household cleaning products or organic matter mixed into it, this water is recyclable for use in watering your lawn or indoor plants.
Having this containment sink is a benefit as you always have a system in place to collect this water making it immediately available to use.
As for water that comes from washing machines, dishwashers and bathtubs, that water, because it is full of detergents and chemicals must be pretreated before use if you want to use it to greatest advantage. This process of pretreatment is quite time consuming and labor intensive.
Remember the entire planet is covered in water but less than 1% of the earths entire water supply is drinkable so the next time you find yourself at the kitchen sink, please spare a thought for the amount of water you use and try to set a goal to reduce it. Even a little difference goes a long way.
About the Author:
Beverly Clarke is the manager of a network of living green websites promoting eco-friendly choices. Subscribe to Our Newsletter and Get a Free Report on Sustainable Choices.
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