With the spectre of dry taps and water rationing looming, one question comes to mind – what can we do to play our part in saving water?
1. Wash your car less – or not at all.
Do not wash your car often, human beings and animals need water more than these feeling-less gadgets.
2. Take quick showers
Bathe once a day and have a quick bath instead of singing/ dancing/partying while having a bath and spending 45 minutes showering. With multiple baths a day, have one complete bath and use a minimum amount of water for the others.
3. Wash all your dirty dishes in one go
You can save water by washing plates and kitchen utensils in one go, using two big basins of clean water. Wipe any left-over food or stains away before dipping the used utensils into the first basin; put them into the second basin for a final cleaning.
4. Do not use running water for washing
Don’t wash clothes or kitchen towels under running water. Instead, soak them in in a small bucket with soap powder and just enough water to cover them. Wash them once they are well soaked.
5. Catch warming-up water
Put a bucket in the shower while you’re waiting for the water to warm up, and use the water you catch for watering plants or cleaning.
6. Throw, don’t flush
Don’t flush things down the toilet to dispose of them. Throw away tissues and other bathroom waste in the garbage can, which doesn’t require gallons of water.
7. Wash full loads only
Only use your washing machine when it’s completely full.
8. Water, not flood your plants
Before watering your plants, check the soil in the pot with your finger first. If it’s damp, it doesn’t need any watering! Water only if the soil feels dry and hard.
9. Boil only what you need
Boil food in as little water as possible to save water and energy. You only need to submerge your pasta and potatoes, for example. Also, with less water, you keep more flavour and nutrients in your veggies.
10. Songkran
There have already been messages from high ranked government officials about saving water during Songkran. These messages are typically greeted with a cynical response by those who don’t really think that the ‘water warriors’ will be taking any notice; they’re probably right. For many regular Songkran victims, one wet day is probably enough, so maybe that should be the strategy. If you are on the bucket end, think about reducing your H2O attacks to only the first day or even half day. Of course if you are one of the victims, staying inside during the later days reduces targets and therefore water use. Chok Dee!
