4 min read
Sustainable Building Practices: Water-Saving Technologies for a Greener Future
David Schwartz Nov 15, 2024 12:06:12 AM
Today, sustainability has become the buzzword all over the globe. More and more companies and organizations are coming up with innovative ways how to take positive steps to ensure that our planet remains green and viable.
According to statistics, if we can protect 30% of the planet’s lands, oceans, and freshwaters, we will be able to safeguard 60% of carbon stocks!
There are many ways of investing in green technology, but focusing on water conservation is one of the most important aspects of a greener future.
If you wish to invest in novel water-saving technologies for a more sustainable planet, here are some innovative ways to do that!
1. Install low-flow fixtures
Low-flow fixtures, including showerheads and faucets, can save a lot of water while ensuring your comfort and flexibility. They limit the water flow rate so that a steady flow of water is maintained without wasting too much.
This is a great sustainable building practice because you can get specialized flow restrictors at affordable rates!
However, if you want to put your property on rent, tenants may tamper with shower flow restrictors. So, invest in an innovative device like a Showerhead flow restrictor. It can be attached to the shower fixer behind the wall without damage, preventing any chances of tamper!
The Shower Scrooge™
It regulates the flow of hot and cold water as you take a bath by reducing the water consumption with each shower. These fixtures also regulate the pressure variations inside the showerheads to let less water flow when there’s an increased pressure.
2. Fix toilet leaks
Almost all of us have a habit of not paying enough attention to toilet leaks and putting them off till the last moment. However, that not only wastes water but also builds a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.
To ensure sustainable building practices, fix toilet leaks the moment you notice them, irrespective of how insignificant they might look.
However, it’s just not easy to track leaks. So, another of the great water-saving technologies to save your day is an auto shutoff valve. The device has a motion sensor to detect when any user is present, which is when the valve will open to let water into the toilet.
When the user leaves, the valve automatically closes, preventing water from flowing back into the toilet! So, no water equals no leak!
The best part is that this technology is powered by water, so you don’t have to spend any extra money on battery maintenance or repairs!
3. Capture and reuse water
You might not consciously know it, but tonnes of water are simply flushed out of our toilets and wasted. If we can reuse this water for non-potable reasons, it can be an innovative form of sustainable building practices.
For example, many households have already started to reuse greywater, which is the lightly used water from sinks, washing machines, and showers, to provide water for toilet filling and cleaning. This also helps in minimizing wastewater emissions.
You can install a smart water tracking device in your washing machine or behind the sink taps to monitor how much water is drained from these sources.
Even rainwater capture and reuse have been a popular form of sustainable building practices, where an entire apartment might save thousands of gallons of water by rainwater harvesting.
4. Install a flow management device
A flow management device is also part of sustainable building practices, where specialized water-saving technologies are installed.
When water passes through a conventional water meter, a certain volume of air also rushes along with it, and the meter cannot tell the difference. As a result, you have to end up paying for both, water and air!
Fortunately, novel technology like a flow management device lets you pay less for using the same amount of water.
It also ensures smart water tracking through a valve that compresses air. This valve eliminates the unwanted volume of air that flows out with the water, thereby giving you an accurate measurement of the water flowing out through the meter without registering any air.
5. Penetrable surfaces for water flow
If you’re building or renovating your home and you wish to conserve water, one of the simplest water-saving technologies to install is permeable surfaces on the driveways and patios.
Use permeable pavers or gravel driveways that allow rainwater to penetrate the ground instead of flowing into drains and getting wasted.
Not only is this a cost-effective way of conserving water, but it also recharges the groundwater levels. This reduces stormwater runoff and also the need for constant irrigation.
6. Use water evaluation kits
You might feel that a water evaluation kit is too expensive or complicated to handle, but in reality, it’s a simple DIY kit that can help you save a lot of water!
Sustainable building practices today have led to the development of portable kits that can be easily used at home to measure how much water is being used and wasted.
A typical kit contains a water evaluation guide, an infrared thermometer, a hygro thermometer, a ruler, a tape measure, a calculator, and even a shower timer.
It also gives you instructions on how to conduct water audits yourself to check for any unregulated or unwanted water wastage.
7. Be more mindful
Small actions can lead to great things! And when it comes to sustainable building practices, every step you take can have a great impact.
For example, when you’re operating the dishwasher in the kitchen, run it only when it’s full so that you can save on water.
Instead of rinsing food scraps down the drain, save both water and the scraps by throwing the scraps into a compost bin. You can make use of it as compost for the garden and also reduce water wastage.
When you’re thawing frozen food items, do them in the microwave instead of on running water. If you’re a big fan of gardening, inspect how much water is being used every time you water the plants.
If possible, cut the grass and trim the bushes to ensure that every plant receives only the optimal amount of water.
Conclusion
There are innumerable ways to save water and ensure a more habitable planet for future generations. But to make a noticeable difference, buy smart water technology and water-saving devices from The Water Scrooge! You’ll reduce not just water consumption but also your expenses!