Environmental authorities in Thailand are finally admitting the nation is facing the worst water shortage crisis in decades.
In some cases water supplies have already been reduced, or even turned off, in agricultural areas.
Now the cities and tourist areas face a complete drought in only a few short months
To help avert a crisis, and keep your water bill down, we’ve rounded up ten tips to help you take the first steps to run a more water-efficient home.
Tip 1
DON’T leave the tap running when you wash fruit and vegetables. A running tap pumps out between six and twelve litres of water every minute.
Fill the sink or a washing-up bowl with just enough water to do the job, then use whatever is left for other things, such as mopping floors, feeding plants and flushing toilets.
Tip 2
DON’T leave water running when you are brushing teeth, washing hair or soaping up. Turn off the tap when it is not directly in use.
Tip 3
DO place a clean washing-up bowl in the sink to catch the excess flow as you wait for water from the tap to cool down. Use that for cleaning, feeding the dog or soaking your sheets.
Tip 4
DO collect rainwater from your roof, driveway, and other hard surfaces.
Tip 5
DO steam vegetables instead of boiling them. This can save water and help preserve more of the nutrients in your food. Microwaving would use even less water than steaming.
Tip 6
DON’T automatically use the large flush option on the toilets. Simply flushing the loo accounts for one-fifth of household water use.
Without going into too much detail, use the short flush option whenever possible. Or pour in the water you have saved from somewhere else in the house.
Tip 7
DO wash by HAND. A fully-loaded, modern washing machine will use far more water than washing clothes by hand, in a bucket. Pour leftovers down the toilet, when needed.
Tip 8
DO regularly check hoses for leaks and get them fixed quickly. The same applies to dripping taps. A dripping tap can waste 9 litres of water a day, boosting the cost of your water bill unnecessarily.
Tip 9
DON’T linger in the shower, 4-minutes is long enough. Not only does this save water in tropical climates, it also saves money.
A single person can reduce their water use to 50% by cutting shower time down to 4 minutes each.
Even better, share a bath or shower with a loved one, or neighbor….
Tip 10
DO water your garden, terrace boxes, in the evening. Watering during the day — when the sun is blazing — only makes evaporation occur more quickly.
Instead, make your water go further by waiting for the sun to set.
Finally, DO share your knowledge about saving water through conservation and efficiency with your friends on social media and local neighbors.
