With several parts of Metro Manila experiencing intermittent water supply and season of El Niño looming over us, conserving water is now more important than ever.  Whether you are affected with water interruptions or not, cutting back on water use will lower your utility bill and help mitigate the impact of El Niño to La Mesa Dam’s declining water levels.

Small changes at home can help save hundreds of liters of water each year. Here are 10 easy ways you can do at home to conserve water.

Use pail and dipper for bath time.  When the water supply is limited, ditch the showerhead and use the good ole bucket and dipper for your bath time instead.

Use a glass when brushing teeth.  Just like how our moms taught us when we were kids, fill a glass of water and turn off the tap to save water when brushing teeth.

Reuse the grey water.  Save every drop of water by recycling the water you used in boiling pasta, washing dishes and showering.  You can use it to water the plants, flush the toilet, and clean the house.

Wash the pups outside.  This way, you can water the lawn at the same time.  But first, make sure that your pet shampoo is not harmful to your plants.

Wait until you have a full load.  Run the washing machine only when you have a full load.  All those half-loads add up to litters of wasted waster.

Cut your shower short.  Speed things up in the bathroom to save up on water. After all, a hot shower of more than 10 minutes can strip your skin of moisture.

Don’t flush trash.  Avoid flushing toilet paper, cigarette butts, and other small trash down the toilet, as it would consume more water to prevent clogging.  Throw your trash in the proper bin.

Modify your toilet tank.  The toilet is typically the biggest water consumer in a house.  You can reduce that by modifying your toilet to flush with less water.  Simply place a half gallon jug full of sand or pebbles into the toilet tank.  It will save half a gallon on each flush.

Check for leaks.  Did you know that an average faucet drip can waste up to 21 liters of water a day.  To prevent unnecessary waste, close the faucet tightly, fix faulty toilet flappers and report the curious stain on the wall or ceiling.  Evident stains on your walls and ceilings may mean pipes or rain leak problems that can lead to bigger and more expensive problems. DIY or call an expert ASAP to check your plumbing system.

Install efficient fixtures.  A long term solution in water conservation at home is to install faucet aerators, low flow showerheads, and water efficient toilet.  An aerator is a small device screwed into the faucet head that reduces water flow by mixing it with air, creating an illusion of higher flow, but using less cubic meters of water.  Similarly, choose a low flow showerhead and dual flush toilet when shopping for bathroom fixtures.