{"id":147172,"date":"2018-01-20T08:00:18","date_gmt":"2018-01-20T06:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/?p=147172"},"modified":"2018-01-20T08:00:18","modified_gmt":"2018-01-20T06:00:18","slug":"12-ways-save-water-around-home-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2018\/01\/20\/12-ways-save-water-around-home-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy ways to save water in and around your home"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With more areas struggling with droughts worldwide, conserving water is more important than ever. Even if you\u2019re not living in a drought-stricken region, cutting back on water use also means a lower utility bill and helps conserve a precious resource.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re ready to cut back on your showers or replace your lawn with water-wise plants, there are many ways in which you can save water around <strong>your home (INSERT WEBSITE LINK)<\/strong>.<\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<p>Even a few small changes can add up to hundreds of litres.<\/p>\n<h2>In and around your bathroom:<\/h2>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-138555\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2017\/03\/pixabay-520x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"400\" \/><\/strong><\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Shorter shower sessions:<\/strong>\u00a0You can save a lot of water by not languishing in the shower.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bucket in the shower:<\/strong> \u00a0Instead of letting water pour down the drain while it\u2019s warming up, put a bucket under the shower head. You can use the water for flushing the toilet or watering plants, even for rinsing fruit and veg.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Install water-saving shower heads:<\/strong> Inquire at your local hardware store as there are various water and cost-saving options available.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth:<\/strong> This might seem obvious, but a lot of us are guilty of this.\u00a0Don\u2019t waste water while you brush your teeth or wash your hands.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Flushing the toilet:<\/strong>\u00a0If it&#8217;s brown, flush it down. If it&#8217;s yellow, let it mellow!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Switch off the warm water tap for your bathroom basins:<\/strong> Limit warm water to your kitchen area only.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reuse grey water:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.waterwise.co.za\/export\/sites\/water-wise\/gardening\/water-your-garden\/downloads\/Greywater_pamphlet.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Grey water<\/a>\u00a0is used water\u00a0from bathroom sinks, showers, bath tubs and washing machines. It is not\u00a0water\u00a0that has come into contact with feces, either from the toilet or from washing nappies. Re-route the runoff water from your washing machine and use that water for things like flushing the toilet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>In and around your kitchen:<\/h2>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-138611\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2018\/04\/45075801_S.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Washing dishes:<\/strong> Rather let your dishes pile up and wash them all in one go, either early morning or at night.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Invest in a\u00a0dishwasher:\u00a0<\/strong>Yes, you&#8217;ve read correctly. Modern dishwashers save more water than you can, as they are equipped with soil sensors that can test how dirty your dishes are, and automatically adjusts the cycle to achieve optimum cleaning and minimum water and energy usage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Defrosting food:<\/strong> Do not defrost any food under running warm water. Set a reminder on your mobile device for you to remove any frozen foods from the freezer before going to bed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Change cooking habits:<\/strong> Instead of boiling your food, steam! Steaming is also a healthier option as the process retains more nutrients in your food.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Drinking water:<\/strong> Rather keep a jug of chilled drinking water in the refrigerator, rather than relying on tap water, as we are tempted to run the tap until it gets cold.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>In and around your house:<\/h2>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-138559\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2017\/03\/a7516a5208b1a734_5953-w618-h455-b0-p0-modern-exterior-1-520x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"400\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fix leaks:<\/strong>\u00a0Leaks are responsible for huge amounts\u00a0of water going to waste. Keep an eye on your bill to spot leaks.\u00a0If your water bill spikes suddenly, it may be that there is a leak somewhere. Whether you do it yourself or hire a plumber, check for leaks and fix them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Water-saving devices:<\/strong>\u00a0Aerating your taps, installing low-flow toilets and efficient shower heads can save a lot of water and save you money in the long run. When buying a dishwasher and washing machine, choose Watersense\u00a0rated appliances that are designed to use less water. Only use appliances when they are fully loaded.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reading your water meter:<\/strong>\u00a0Find your meter water and read it yourself. Make sure that your reading is accurate and reflected correctly in your utility bill. Here&#8217;s a handy video that will assist you in reading your water meter:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class='tie-fluid-width-video-wrapper tie-ignore-fitvid' style='margin-bottom: 30px;'>\n\t\t\t<iframe style='width: 100%; min-height: 300px; aspect-ratio: 16\/9;' src='https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/FtvdpeyGVlU' loading='lazy'><\/iframe>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Reconsider your lawn:<\/strong>\u00a0Reduce your lawn space or get rid of it completely. Instead, make use of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Xeriscaping\" target=\"_blank\">xeriscaping<\/a>\u00a0that makes use of water wise ground covers, succulents and other plants that thrive in drought conditions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Water outdoor plants before sunrise:<\/strong> You\u2019ll need less water, since cooler morning temperatures mean losing less water to evaporation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rainwater harvesting:<\/strong>\u00a0Rainwater harvesting\u00a0is the collection, filtering, storage and distribution of\u00a0rainwater <strong>in your area.<\/strong> <strong>(INSERT HOMES HYPERLINK HERE)<\/strong> It can be used for irrigation, as an emergency supply of water or a complete off-the grid system. It can be stored in water tanks or reservoirs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Washing your car:<\/strong>\u00a0If you must wash your car, take it to a car wash that recycles the water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\u00a0<strong>Share your water saving tips with us by commenting below!<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-below-post-content\">\n<div class='tenancy_slot tenancy_slot_1 jannah_ad' style='display: none;' data-query-id='ce78081330eab626c6869214cd9ab3b1'><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s Water Week and many places in South Africa are still suffering water shortages. Here\u2019s how you can do your part to help reduce our overall water consumption.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7782,"featured_media":147173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hasGravity":false,"cxt_article_byline":"Caxton Central","cxt_disable_google_ads":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2],"tags":[13988,13989,13990,13991],"class_list":["post-147172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news-headlines","tag-how-to-save-water","tag-save-water-around-your-house","tag-water-saving-tips","tag-water-week-2017"],"amp_enabled":true,"category_labels":{"Category":"News","SubCategory":"Local news"},"tag_labels":["how to save water","save water around your house","water saving tips","water week 2017"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7782"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147172\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}