We’re so used to having clean water on tap. We start our day, take a quick shower, brush our teeth and pour ourselves a hot boiling cup of tea. But most of us don’t realize just how much water a day we actually use. On average, an adult living in Europe uses about 150 liters a day - whereas most African inhabitants use only 50 liters a day and an American family even uses 500 liters a day. The contrasts are huge, but one thing is clear: Western populations use a lot more water, and often times absentmindedly so.

But what is the cause of this excessive use of water?

Let’s have a look at the three biggest consuming habits and actions within your home.

Showering: 41%

Of course, showering is a necessity. We can’t go around feeling unhygienic after all! But on average, showering is a huge water consumer. An average shower lasts for about 7-8 minutes and uses at least 59.7 liters. Averagely speaking, most individuals take about 4.4 showers and 1.3 baths a week. If you calculate the total, is quite the number of liters.

Toilet flushing: 29%

Statistics show that people flush the toilet about 5 times a day, and that each flush uses about 10 liters. That’s another 50 liters of water to add to the bill.

Laundry: 12%

Every time you wash laundry, your machine uses about 111 liters of water. Considering the fact that the average family washes 5.4 loads of laundry each week, this comes to a shocking amount of consumed water.

Other than these necessities, your sink, dishwasher, bath and food prepping is also part of your water consumption list, each taking on 4-1% of water usage.

What can you do to consume less? 10 tips!

We all have the ability to cut down on our water usage - but first you need to know how. Here are ten tips to implement in your daily (water) routine. Your wallet will thank you, and so will the earth!

1. Update your bathroom

Now, we’re not saying you should remodel your entire bathroom, most older showers and faucets waste a lot more water than new ones. For example, new toilets don’t use 10 liters but 1.6 liters each flush. Look at how much that will save! The same goes for outdated showers, dishwashers and washing machines.

If you’re unable to replace (because you rent your home, for example), there are still ways you can give your bathroom an upgrade. We live in a modern age, which makes it possible to use technology for the better! Great inventions such as water-saving appliances and gadgets make it so easy for us to save water. For example, only upgrading the showerhead. When you move out, you can reinstall the old one, and bring your more conscious showerhead along to your new home. The same applies for showerheads, older models use about 17,4-21,9 liters a minute, whereas newer and less consuming showerheads only use about 7 liters a minute.

2. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth

Such a waste to let all that clean water go down the drain untouched! Water that comes out of the average faucet, runs at about 10 liters a minute. If you brush your teeth twice a day, for four minutes in total - you waste about 40 liters of water if you leave the tap open.

3. Turn off the tap while washing your hands.

A lot of people unconsciously wash their hands and leave the tap running. However, if you really want to thoroughly wash your hands, a few short seconds won’t do the trick. Make your hands wet, turn off the tap, start scrubbing with soap, and once you're ready only turn the tap back on to rinse.

4. Don’t wash your car at home

If you have a car that needs cleaning, go to a car wash that recycles the water instead of washing it at home with the hose. This will save you a lot of water.

5. Cut your showers short

Now, we know it’s very comfortable to stand in the shower and let the hot water embrace you - forgetting all time and space around you… But while you’re daydreaming in the shower, you’re not aware of the minutes (and liters) ticking by. For the next time you take a shower, set a stopwatch and see how long you’re actually showering - then you have a starting point you can improve on. Then try to cut it down the next shower down by one minute and see how that suits you instead!

6. Recycle your water

Who said the water you use to boil your spaghetti, can only be used once? Rethink how you use your water. Is it really necessary to flush it down the drain, or do you see ways to make use of it even more? A great tip we have, is catching the water in a bucket, let it cool down and use it to water your indoor plants or garden.

7. Install a rain barrel

Great for those with lush green gardens or terraces: installing a rain barrel! Not only do they catch enough rain to water your plants with, but this rain is often better and more qualitative for your plants than the water coming from your tap.

8. Going traveling? Use a filter!

Ah, nature… There is not a more beautiful thing in the world than just retreating into nature every now and then. Pack your backpack, lace your hiking boots and don’t forget to bring a filter! Especially when you’re abroad and you’re on an adventure in the mountains or woods, you’ll notice a lot of natural water sources around and often times this is drinkable water. Simply bring a lifestraw, this lets you drink directly from the source as it filters it out. Another nifty item to bring is a Grayl waterfilter bottle that will always supply you with fresh water.

9. Reuse ‘grey’ waters

Ever heard of the term ‘grey water’? This is the water you use only once when you take a shower, wash your hands, or take a bath. This water is not strictly speaking polluted, and could therefore serve many more purposes. Luckily, we don’t have to waste this water, as there are different kinds of systems you can install to catch and reuse the water… For example to water your garden or flush your toilet! Our earth needs us to become more circular with our sources, and reusing your grey waters can be a great step in the right direction. The water can be directly filtered with a Helofytenfilter and caught in an underground basin to be used again. Depending on what’s possible to install at your home, this method could be a great addition to a more sustainable lifestyle.

10. Greener gardens

Have a critical look at your outdoor spaces. Is your garden as green as it could be? Or is the majority paved? If your garden is mostly paved, we would really urge you to redesign it. Paved gardens are disastrous for biodiversity and the soil’s ability to distribute water properly. Ground without the roots of plants is unable to hold any water, which results in the rain to end up going straight into the drain. Instead, we need rain to keep our landscape and surroundings green and healthy for human inhabitance. Without trees and greenery around us, we not only have more polluted air and less oxygen - but it also makes us unhappy to be unable to see nature around us. Explore your green thumb, plant as many different plants, bushes and trees you can master - and the earth will thank you for it!

Hopefully, we have given you new insights and tools on how to save some water. We all have to step up a bit to make a change, but it's the little things that count in the end. And after all, doesn’t it also feel nice to do the things you used to do on autopilot, consciously now?