Conserving water is a small action everyone can take daily to help our planet. One TikToker showed their favorite way to save water while cutting their water bill.
The scoop
Brightly (@brightly.eco) shares sustainable tips and eco-friendly products with over 600,000 followers on TikTok. The page has shared tips for reusing Parmesan cheese tops and a hack to clean your car. In one clip, they shared an incredible trick to conserve water and cut your water bill in the process.
@brightly.eco How do you conserve water? #ecohacks #conservewater #ecofriendly #zerowaste #zerowasteliving #lowwastelifestyle #ecofriendlyliving ♬ The Morning Routine - Coffee Shop Jazz
This hack is quite simple: While waiting for your water to heat up, rather than wasting water down the drain, collect it. You can use a cup, bowl, or pitcher to collect your water. The creator gives a few examples of how they use their saved water. "The easiest thing is to water your plants with it. It's great for soaking dirty dishes."
Perhaps the cleverest and most convenient idea most would not think of: "Add it to the back of your toilet, and it will flush with that graywater."
How it's working
Saving water in this way is an easy way to cut back your water bill. Capturing water before it's hot and putting it to good use keeps it from getting wasted down the sink. According to Lawn Starter, the average American household pays around $73 a month for water.
Cutting back this bill can make a noticeable impact on your budget. Especially in drought-stricken areas, a multitude of people doing this and other water-saving techniques would make an important difference.
The Environmental Protection Agency water-saving page gives tips to reduce waste. "Using water efficiently will help ensure reliable water supplies today and for future generations. Best of all, everyone can play their part in preserving our nation's water resources."
There are plenty of other great ways to conserve water. You can test your toilet for leaks using food coloring and make use of "stale water." One city in Utah even implemented a fun way to gamify water usage, hoping to make water conservation a bit more engaging.
What people are saying
Folks on TikTok were excited to learn a new way to be gentler on the planet and save a little money.
"That's smart," one person wrote, with another saying it's "much better than just letting it run."
Someone else said they save a lot of water by doing something similar: "Omg, I do this too; I use a gallon or more till my water is hot to shower, so now I collect it and soak my dishes."
"I put a bucket in my shower while I wait for hot water and use it to water plants or even filter it to drink," added another water conservation enthusiast.
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