Water is often taken for granted in a home, but it takes a lot of energy to get water from the source to your kitchen, bathroom, garden and laundry room. Eco-friendly plumbing practices can greatly reduce the cost of getting a good water supply as well as help save water resources. Most of the antiquated and inefficient plumbing fixtures use a lot of water. A plumber can install energy efficient water heaters, shower heads and toilets, but there are a lot more ways to reduce water consumption without changing your lifestyle.

Rain Water Harvesting

For those who have the climate, it’s worth setting up a rain water harvesting system outside their home. Depending on the material of the base that the water runs off, the collected water can be used for flushing toilets, watering the garden, washing the car and other things. Collecting rain water not only reduces your dependence on treated water from reservoirs and rivers, it also reduces erosion and pollution from storm water run-off.

Grey Water Systems

Grey water is the waste water from showers, sinks, laundry, dishwashers and places other than the toilet. It is about 80 per cent of the water that leaves your home. A plumber can install a grey water recycling system, so this water can be funneled into your toilet and other places.

Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters are becoming more and more popular. These water heaters only heat the water you need. They don’t heat and reheat a whole tank of water day or night whether you use it or not. They reduce energy costs by up to 50 per cent. In some places, there are tax credits given to people who install a tankless water heater. These heaters give hot water on demand, so you don’t need to let the water run for a few minutes waiting for it to turn hot. If you have a conventional water heater, it saves water to catch the water you are waiting to turn hot in a bucket and use it to flush the toilet or to brush your teeth.

Watering the Garden

You may have an enviable lawn or masses of blooming flowers every year and can’t bear the thought of reducing the water you give them. There is a way to keep you garden well watered and cut water use. A large percentage of water that flows through the air from a hose or sprinkler evaporates before it reaches your plants. Drip irrigation will cut water use up to 70 per cent. There are also sensor-based irrigation control technologies that water according to the plants’ requirements and the weather.

Solar Power

You can heat the water in your swimming pool with solar power, and run the pump. There are many garden fixtures such as lighting and fountains that run on solar power.