1. Take a shower rather than a bath

A bath consumes more than 100 liters of water. A shower is more economical, unless you drag a little underwater … It all depends on the shower head and the type of shower you use, but 10 minutes of shower can consume more water than a bath ( 15 l // min x 10 min = 150 liters).

So we opt for a short shower. In addition to saving water, it consumes less energy because it requires heating less water. Replacing a bath with a shower once a week is a saving of 160 kWh per year, or € 40!

But the champion in all categories, with less than 10 liters, is the sink!

2. Use an economical shower head

An economical shower head consumes 6 liters per minute, or even less, while remaining effective in the shower (it rinses well even if it consumes less).

For a 10-minute shower, we will therefore consume:

60 liters, or less, with an economical knob;
between 100 and 150 liters with a conventional knob.

An economical shower head (cost: € 20) therefore saves water by 90 liters per shower, or € 165 per year.

3. Flush less water in the toilet

The toilets use the most water in the home.

To save water, you can replace the flush with a two-button flush. A small one for small pees (3 liters) and a large one for large units (6 liters). It requires buying a new hunt.

Not want or not possible to change the whole unit? So we adopt system D to reduce the volume of the flush: we deposit in the tank one or two plastic bottles (closed) filled with water. The bottles thus occupy part of the tank space, which reduces its capacity (and therefore the water consumed at each filling). The number and size of the bottles depends on the tank and the efficiency of the flush once the capacity is reduced. Be careful not to reduce it too much. We do not have the choice of the quantity for each use, unlike two-button hunts. If we reduce the volume, we reduce it for all uses.

Rainwater can also be used to flush the toilet. The installation is fairly basic since the au does not need to be made potable for this use.

> Learn more about the use of rainwater.

But the ideal remains to opt for a dry toilet (see advice n ° 8).

4. Detect and repair leaks

A leaky tap represents a loss of 4 liters / hour or almost € 200 / year.6

A leaking toilet flush consumes 25 liters / hour, i.e. more than $ 1,000 / year.

To determine if there are leaks in the house, you must read the water meter in the evening before going to bed (do not operate the washing machine or dishwasher that night, or stand up for go pee) and compare the value with that of the next morning. Normally, the numbers should be the same. If it is not, then there is a leak. It remains to identify where it is.

5. Avoid letting the water run unnecessarily

If you do the dishes by hand, letting the water run consumes up to 200 liters per dish. It is more economical to fill the two sink bowls.
Close the tap when brushing your teeth. You can optionally use a cup. This saves around ten liters.
Turn off the water in the shower when you are soaping yourself. Each minute without water saves several liters.

6. Choose economical devices

If you are a homeowner, equipping your shower with a thermostatic mixer is a good operation. Hot water arrives faster and this saves a few liters of water per shower. A shower mixer costs less than $100 for the first prices.

When you buy large appliances (washing machine, dishwasher, etc.), you also pay attention to their water consumption. The best dishwashers use less than 10 liters of water per cycle (consumption is written as the energy label, even if it is water). And of course, we only rotate them when they are full.

> See 8 tips for choosing the right appliances.

7. Water sparingly

In the garden too, you can save water:

replace the garden hose with a watering can;
water less often but longer so that the soil moistens deeply. Rotary watering by alternative jets allows “gentle” watering over a long period.
ensure that the soil is fairly loose and worked. This allows for more efficient watering. In fact, water trickles over packed soil;
in the vegetable patch or in flower beds, cover the soil between straw plants, mowed lawns, leaves, etc. promotes water retention;
water in the evening, to avoid wastage due to evaporation (it is warmer during the day) and evapotranspiration (rejection of vapour by plants).

8. Use a dry toilet

A dry toilet uses sawdust to cover our small productions, rather than evacuating them with water, which in most cases is potable. It doesn’t smell at all and doesn’t consume water. However, it is necessary to have a well-managed garden and compost. And get into the habit.

9. Use rainwater

Drinking water is only necessary for 5% of our water consumption. For the rest, rainwater can be used. Depending on the use (toilet, washing machine, shower or even the kitchen), the level of filtration will be different. We are well informed beforehand not to be silly. Obviously, this advice is only for owners …