Most homes in India receive 20,000 liters of free water each month. On average, an Indian home made up of four people, including two children, consumes between 600 and 800 liters of water a day.
Consumption is higher in larger families, as well as in homes that have bathtubs and one or more vehicles. Public service providers charge an additional fee of Rs.10 per 1,000 liters.
This means that an average family would pay Rs.40 to Rs.60 per month for this valuable resource, while larger households can pay between Rs.100 and Rs.150 for water, depending on the number of people, use and others. parameters
What does this mean?
The above figures imply that the majority of Indian households that depend on the water supply of public service providers, including municipalities, water resources departments of state governments and other authorities, receive enough free water for monthly use.
However, they end up paying bills, however small the amount, due to the additional water they need to buy from public service providers. The answers to use more water can be found in the consumption patterns of the Indians.
Water consumption patterns in India
In general, an adult consumes between 100 liters and 150 liters of water per day, depending on the location. Obviously, the use of water would be greater in hot and humid areas and less in places with a relatively drier and colder climate.
This is how an average Indian consumes water daily:
- Drinking water: Five to six liters / day
- Kitchen: Five to six liters / day
- Washing of utensils and clothes: 20 to 30 liters / day
- Domestic cleaning: 10 to 15 liters / day
- Discharge toilets: 30 to 40 liters / day
- Bathrooms: 30 to 50 liters / day depending on the method such as shower, bucket and bathtub.
While no one denies the importance of personal and domestic hygiene, there are several ways to conserve water.
If you save water, you are saving money and avoiding the misuse of this natural resource. Here are some ways and means to save water.
10 simple ways to save water
1. Check and repair leaking pipes
Defective or old pipes are the main culprit of water waste. This includes leaking pipes, faucets that drip water despite being turned off, defective discharge tanks in toilets that continuously drain clean water, leaks in tanks installed on terraces and roofs of housing units.
If you have leaking pipes anywhere in the house or office, repair immediately. It will save water, as well as the environment and possibly some precious money.
2. Shave
Most Indian men shave at home. This is because a shave at the hairdresser can cost between Rs.20 and Rs.100, depending on where you go.
Shaving at home is convenient: you can do it at will, spend less and dispense with the need to wait in the queues of the classrooms. However, a common mistake that most men make is to leave the sink tap open while shaving.
You don't need running water all the time to wash the shaver. Therefore, turn off the tap when it is not necessary. If possible, use a glass of water to rinse the razor, as it saves a lot of water.
If you do not feel comfortable using the same water in a glass to wash the shaver, discard it and refill it. You can save water using half a glass of water instead of filling to the brim.
3. Shower
Colossal volumes of water are wasted when we shower. This happens because we do not turn off the shower while soaping or washing with shampoo.
The shower continues to run non-stop, wasting precious clean water that could be better utilized. You can avoid this rampant waste by turning off the shower before applying soap or shampoo.
If you are using a water heater, closing the shower also helps save electricity: warm water will run down the drain. Instead, it will remain in the heater or geyser. Doing so also saves money, since water heaters consume electricity.
Closing the shower during lathering and shampooing has another small benefit: it prevents it from accidentally slipping on a wet and slippery surface and getting hurt.
Once you have finished bathing, make sure the faucets are closed. If you are using a hot and cold water mixer, turn the lever to the tap side and turn both knobs fully to the off position to save water.
4. Washing clothes
Believe it or not, semi-automatic machines consume much more water than automatic machines. This is because you must open or close the water supply while using a semi-automatic washing machine. Such washing machines have a threshold to which you can fill the wash tub.
If left unattended, the wash tub will overflow and the water will drain unnecessarily. If you are forced to use a semi-automatic washing machine, be sure to monitor the water filling in the bathtub. Turn off the water supply as soon as you have reached the desired level.
Automatic washing machines allow you to select how much water is needed, depending on the load. Therefore, you can choose between full, medium or low. The water supply to such washers automatically closes and you do not need to worry about waste.
To conserve water, use automatic washing machines. They cost a little more. But they save their money by consuming relatively lower volumes of water and save considerable effort.
When using a washing machine of any type, collect the water that drains after rinsing. This water can be used to discharge toilets. Because they contain detergent, their toilets remain clean and sparkling. It can also be used to clean vehicles before washing them with fresh water.
Today, certain brands of organic detergents that contain herbal extracts are also available in the market. Use such detergents, if you have a garden. Being ecological and made of herbal extracts, they can be used safely for gardening purposes.
5. Washing utensils
Leaving the tap open while washing the glasses is another practice in most homes. There is no need for water while busy cleaning grease containers and food stains. You can conserve large amounts of water while washing utensils by simply turning off the tap while scrubbing.
Another great idea to save water while washing utensils is to use two buckets full of water. Once you have finished scrubbing, soak the container in a bucket to remove dishwashing soap. Later, rinse in the other bucket to remove any trace of dishwashing soap.
Since Indian households usually wash a plate, cup or other container before using it, this type of cleaning is acceptable. It helps save water that would otherwise be wasted. You can use water from these two buckets to discharge the toilets.
6. Discharge toilets
The bathrooms should be clean and bright. Otherwise, they can cause illness to family members or residents of a household.
I have already mentioned how you can use the drained water from the washing machines or leftover after cleaning the utensils to discharge the toilets. However, there is a more efficient way to save water by unloading toilets.
On average, a toilet discharge tank drains five to six liters of water for individual use. This means that a family of four uses about 30 liters of water for discharge and personal hygiene after using the bathroom.
Nowadays, you can buy tanks at cheap prices that have the installation of "half empty" and "full empty". This means that you can use only the amount of water required for this purpose by using the "half rinse or full rinse" features.
As I mentioned earlier, check if the discharge of your toilet is draining water while it is not in use. This is particularly important for homes that use hidden blushes. You can know when a discharge tank is draining water for the time it takes to fill.
A leaking tank will take a few more minutes to fill. If your discharge tank drains water continuously, have it repaired immediately. Leakage discharge tanks can raise your water bills.
7. cooking
Indian homes waste a lot of water while cooking. People wash vegetables and grains using large volumes of water than necessary. Instead of washing vegetables, fruits and grains with running water, put some water in a bowl and stir gently with your hands.
This will help eliminate dust, traces of pesticides and fertilizers, as well as invisible worms in the grains, while helping to save water. Instead of throwing this water, store it for toilets.
It can be used effectively to water a garden or vegetable garden. Washing vegetables, fruits and grains in the water collected in a container has the same effect as under the tap.
In addition, it helps you know if the food has been cleaned of the color of the water that remains after rinsing. This is not possible when using running water.
8. drinking water
Yes, it is also possible to save drinking water. Instead of emptying water bottles and flasks with stale water in a container, collect it in buckets that are used in toilets to wash or wash clothes. Understandably, the volumes are very small.
Here, remember the old adage: each drop forms an ocean. Therefore, every milliliter of water you save counts for your effort to save this precious natural resource.
9. Gardening
If I had a garden, it would definitely be a pride. It will have beautiful plants and shrubs and possibly a small lawn. Gardening consumes a lot of water.
After all, plants need water for their growth and to survive the harsh heat of the day. Most people use sprinklers or spray water using a pipe. This tends to waste a lot of water.
Instead, use a good watering can. This can be filled easily when necessary. They are easy to carry. Today, you can buy showers with a very aesthetic design that add to the beauty of your garden, even when left in the middle of plants and trees.
Using a can allows you to select areas to water and use the appropriate volumes. You can also save water using the remaining food washing or emptying beverage bottles.
10. Car wash
Nobody wants their two or four-wheeled vehicle to look dusty, covered in bird droppings and in poor condition. After all, that motorcycle, scooter or car is a reflection of his personality and achievements.
Unfortunately, most people overdo the washing of their vehicles. The vehicle is bathed with a pipe or hose to remove dust. After applying the car shampoo, they use huge volumes of water to rinse it.
On average, washing a two-wheeled vehicle can drain your home from 30 liters to 40 liters of water. Four-wheelers need at least 50 liters, if not more.
There are many ways to make a vehicle look clean and bright without using too much water. Dust your car with a chamois or soft cloth, easily available in stores that sell accessories and car requirements.
This ensures that the paint on your vehicle does not scratch. Carry water in a bucket and clean your car with a damp cloth. Follow this by applying car shampoo and rinse with a couple of buckets of clean water.
Importance of water saving
India faces a severe water shortage. The country is home to about 18 percent of the population of this planet. Unfortunately, only four percent of water resources are available to Indians.
It is estimated that 165 Indians lack access to drinking water, are left alone for washing and for other purposes. Around 600 million Indians face severe to severe stress to obtain adequate water, a report from the Indian government warns.
These facts make water conservation in India very important. There have been suicides by farmers throughout India due to prolonged droughts, while residents of megacities have faced severe cuts in domestic water supply to homes due to bad rains.
These scenarios cannot be avoided completely. However, when we save water, it reduces the impacts of the shortage caused by the lack of rainfall or droughts.
In conclusion
Niti Aayog (formerly the Planning Commission) of the Indian government found in a recent study that 21 cities in 24 states in India will run out of groundwater by 2020.
Although the report blames defective distribution systems for this criminal waste of groundwater, it also holds citizens responsible for reckless use and unjustified waste.
In India, about 200,000 people die each year due to contaminated water. You can help reverse this situation to some extent by saving water.
