Typically, our blogs focus on ways commercial facilities can save water. However, with more than half of our water being used in residential settings, we must also discuss ways to reduce water consumption at home.
We are talking about something other than the usual ways, such as taking faster showers. Instead, we are discussing therapy, specifically how to use a little therapy to help us use less water at home.
Shawn Burn is a psychologist on the staff at Cal Poly University based in Luis Obispo, California. Based on several articles she has written, here are some of her – and our – water therapy suggestions.
Talk. In therapy, everything starts with talk – discussions, in this case, about reducing water consumption. If you have a family or housemates start by saying, "We need to cut back on our water consumption. If we can cut back by just twenty percent, our water bill will go down enough that we will have enough money to buy everyone a treat on Friday night."
That is the positive approach. One that is less positive, especially if you are experiencing drought conditions, is the following: "Here's our situation. If we do not cut back on water by twenty percent, we will face water rationing. That means we'll have even less water than if we voluntarily cut back now."
Whichever method is used, the next step is to ask your family or housemates what ways they think we can cut back on the water. This gets everyone involved.
Commitments. Once, I walked into an open house for a house for sale and noticed something in one of the girls' bathrooms that caught my eye. It said: "I will not go out on dates unless I tell my parents." Below the words, the young girl signed it, as did her parents.
This is a pledge, a family commitment. Something like this can also be used in families and among housemates. We all need to pledge that we will use less water and use it more efficiently.
Messaging. This works well in all types of commercial facilities. We have all seen those signs in restaurant restrooms that say, "Employees must wash their hands before going back to work." They are placed in restaurants because they work. Placing messages like, "Turn off the water when brushing teeth," can prove just as effective. Just keep messages polite. That makes them attention-grabbing but does not upset anyone.
Charges. Building administrators invariably check their water bills to see if charges have gone up or down. The same is needed in households. It is time to celebrate if the monthly bill has gone down ten or twenty percent. But if charges have stayed the same or even gone up, we have work to do, which leads us to the next suggestion.
Investigation. When did your family or housemates last go around the house looking for water leaks? For most of us, the answer is never. We never look for them; they usually find us when we see a dripping faucet.
The EPA says one leaky faucet can waste as much as 10,000 gallons of water annually. This adds about ten percent to your annual water charge. We need to keep our eyes out for water leaks.
Retrofit. There is one more suggestion, which can save vast amounts of water. If you own your own residence, it's time to install a home waterless urinal. In commercial facilities, they have been proven to save hundreds, if not thousands, of gallons of water per month. And if you have boys in the house and are married, your wife is likely to say she could never live again without one.
Waterless Co., Inc is a pioneer in water efficiency. We are the go-to company when it comes to reducing water consumption, understanding the many benefits of waterless urinals, and finding ways to use water more efficiently. For more information, contact a Waterless Co Specialist.
