Conservation tips for the Dry Season

January 15, 2024

The Dry Season is here and we need to conserve water while meeting our personal needs and those of our pets and plants. Here are some conservation tips on how you can make it through the Dry Season.

Conservation tip #1

Make sure you have no leaking hoses and/or faucets. If you do find that you may have leaking faucets it is an easy fix in most cases that don’t require you to replace the entire faucet. In most cases it may just be a washer. If you are not a “do it yourself-er” your plumber may have to take a look at it. Fix those leaky faucets. That constant drip is more than just annoying; it’s also a huge waste of water. You can lose more than 20 gallons of water a day from a single drippy faucet!

Conservation tip #2

See that the float valve and flush valve in your toilet tank are working properly. If it is not working it may be overflowing and wasting possibly hundreds of gallons of water. Once again, the entire valve may not have to be changed, sometimes a simple re-positioning of the arm would help a great deal in your conservation efforts.

Conservation tip #3

Ensure the float valve in your water tank is functional and water is not leaking back out. Same as above.

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Conservation tip #4

Use a bucket instead of a hose to water your plants and wash your car. If you are ever in a position to measure how much water is used just to wash your car you might just be amazed. Using a bucket would help to stretch this most valuable of resources.

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Conservation tip #5

Do your laundry in large loads instead of several small loads. We have all grown accustomed to sorting laundry before washing. This would sometimes result in small loads of a specific color or fabric type. In the event that this happens consider washing these small loads by hand. Depending on the size of your washer you might be able to save as much as 15 gallons per load.

Rain Harvesting – Downspout First Flush Water Diverter Kit 3″

A simple and effective first flush water diverter that requires minimal maintenance. Installed at the gutter downpipe or via a T-junction to a new or existing system of 3″ diameter PVC downpipes. Add the appropriate length of pipe based on the quantity of water you wish to divert.

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Conservation tip #6

Leave pots and baking pans to soak overnight to avoid using running water to scrub them clean. Pre-soaking your hard to clean dishes like that stubborn macaroni pie or casserole pan will make it easier to wash them. This is of course compared to scrubbing vigorously under running water.

Conservation tip #7

Close off taps and the shower while brushing your teeth, scrubbing pots, and soaping in the shower. In an average home, showers are typically the third largest water use after toilets and clothes washers.

The average shower uses 17.2 gallons (65.1 liters) and lasts for 8.2 minutes at average flow rate of 2.1 gallons per minute (gpm) (7.9 liters pm). Install a low-flow shower head.

It may cost you some money up front, but your water conservation efforts will save you money down the road. Conventional shower heads flow at 5 gallons per minute or more, whereas low-flow shower heads typically flow at 2.5 gallons per minute (or less!).

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Quick and easy installation
Overflow stop function
Spout can be rotated 360 ° – a container can be positioned to the left or right of the downpipe
Summer / winter function
Including core drill, connection seal and flexible connection hose 40 cm
Side outlet 32 mm (1 1/4″)
Ø Downpipe 70 – 100 mm
Recommended for roof sizes up to approx 80 m²

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Conservation tip #8

Recycle water where possible, e.g. use the water from washing vegetables to water your plants.

Conservation tip #9

Take shorter showers. Install low-flow faucet aerators in your bathroom sinks – you can save gallons of water each time you use the tap. Conventional faucets flow as high as 3 gallons per minute, but low-flow faucets flow at 1.5 gallons per minute.

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Conservation tip #10

Defrost food in the refrigerator and not under running water.

Conservation tip #11

Teach your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers about conserving water.

Conservation tip #12

Report any broken water mains to the relevant authorities. Here are the hotlines that you may use to contact WASA as in the case of Trinidad and Tobago should know of ant breaks in the water mains

Head Office, Farm Road, St. Joseph 800-4H2O (800-4420/6) or 800-LEAK (800-5325) Daily including holidays 24 Hours

Caroline Building, Scarborough, Tobago 639-WASA (639-9272) or 639-2735 8:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. Monday – Friday

Allfields Trace, Lowlands, Tobago 639-6850 or 639-6853 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Daily

Walk-in service at our eight (8) Customer Service Centres 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday

These numbers may vary in your country, be sure to get them and let us all work together to make this a dry season where there is water for everyone.

February 2016 – Issue 20 www.sweettntmagazine.com