Conserving water at home is an important way to do our part for the environment and save money on household expenses. While some zero-waste tips are complicated and expensive, TikToker Emma (@simpleenvironmentalist) shared a hack for catching gray water that anyone can try regardless of the size of their home.
The scoop
"This is not something I really did until I moved to the desert, where water conservation is of utmost importance, but it's important for everyone to conserve water," Emma said. "I [place buckets] underneath my kitchen faucet and in my shower."
@simpleenvironmentalist Catching gray water saves me SO MUCH MONEY 👏🏼🤑 #zerowasteonabudget #zerowaste #zerowastehacks #zerowastehome #zerowastehack #graywater #graywatersystem #savemoneysavetheplanet #catchinggraywater #desert #drought #lasvegas #vegas #zerowastelasvegas #lowwaste #lowwastehome #lowwastehack #eco #ecotips #ecohacks #ecohome #ecotok #waterconservation ♬ Paper Birds (3 min) - Jordan Halpern Schwartz
The buckets catch the gray water as the shower heats up, during the shower, and when Emma does the dishes.
"Instead of using, say, 10 gallons of water to wash my dishes and 10 gallons to water my plants, for a total of 20 gallons, I'm now only using 10 gallons total to wash my dishes and water my plants. So it cuts my water usage in half."
How it's working
This tip is great for people who want to reduce their water consumption and utility bills with minimal effort. It's also a great hack for folks who live in places where they have to watch their water consumption more closely, such as deserts or areas prone to wildfires.
The average American uses 82 gallons of water per day at home, with the average family spending more than $1,000 on water bills every year. While using buckets is a wonderful "lazy" hack that anyone can do, installing water-efficient fixtures is also quite easy.
These guides can help you begin your smart home journey and start saving water. Depending on the upgrades you choose, your family could receive thousands of dollars in rebates and tax credits.
What people are saying
This video started a friendly and informative conversation. One user inquired about potential water contamination, asking, "[Doesn't] dish water have soap? Wouldn't that kill plants?" Emma responded, "Yep, [but] I use biodegradable soap."
Another user shared a similar experience: "My uncle catches the water out of the washing machine rinse cycle and uses it to start his next load of laundry."
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Definitely 💯 Overall, the consensus from her audience was positive. "Lazy or saves money? You've hit the motherlode," one user said.
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