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Saving and Conserving Water at
the
Kitchen Sink
by Kathleen
Cagiati
The kitchen has become a center point in our homes and
the room where we use and waste more water than any other area in our house,
with the exception of the bathroom.
Your kitchen sink, on average, uses 2-4 gallons every time you turn it on.
In any given day, most of us turn on the kitchen faucet 10 or more times.
Conservatively speaking, that means in one month you use over 900 gallons of
water from that one faucet. Unfortunately, the majority of those 900 gallons go
directly down the drain.
You can drastically reduce that number by simply installing a faucet aerator
or low flow plate. There are models available today that cost under $2.00 and
will cut the flow to ½ gallon per minute without reducing the water pressure.
That equates to about ½ of the volume of water flowing out of a kitchen sink or
450 gallons less per month and over 5400 gallons per year. In other words,
installing a faucet aerator could almost pay your water bill for one month per
year! Yes you can save money by going green!
Now you have reduced water waste in your kitchen, right? NO. Most of that
water is still going down the drain. What you have done is reduce water
consumption at the sink but not water waste.
One of the easiest ways to start conserving water in the kitchen is to
purchase a simple plastic tub that will fit inside your sink. Why not catch the
water instead of letting it flow right back out the drain?
You can use the water you have collected in several different ways.
1. Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running
water from the tap then reuse it to water houseplants.
2. Soak pots and pans in the tub instead of letting the water run while you
scrape them clean.
3. Rinse your dishes in the tub if you need to before putting them in the
dishwasher.
4. Use the water to flush a toilet.
5. Don't use running water to thaw food. Defrost food in the refrigerator
for water efficiency and food safety or fill your plastic tub with water. You
can defrost your food and then reuse the water to cook your vegetables.
Water Conservation TIP #1: When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water
run while rinsing. If you have a double sink fill one sink with wash water and
the other with rinse water.. If you only have a single sink, you can use your
plastic tub as a rinse tub.
Water Conservation TIP #2: Reuse your rinse water in you scrub bucket or to
wipe your sink clean when you are done.
Water Conservation TIP #3: Reuse you wash water by pouring it on outdoor
plants. The dish soap will help reduce insects without harming your plants.
Water Conservation TIP #4: For cold drinks keep a pitcher of water in the
refrigerator instead of running the tap. Your water will be colder. You won't
have to run the water waiting for it to get cold and you won't need ice.
To get your free whitepaper
with tips on going green and sustainable living, visit
www.GoingGreenExplained.com. Kathleen Cagiati has
been practicing a green lifestyle and implementing
sustainable living strategies for the last 30 years
and shares her simple tips with you.
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