Water Conservation in the Bathroom

I've always know that water was a precious resource.  Really, I have.  It's just hard to appreciate something for it's preciousness when it is abundant.  Abundant until this summer that is.  It didn't rain here... for months.  I'm used to hot, humid days.  This summer we had hot, dry days.  It was like being in a desert, but this area isn't normally a desert.  We buy rice from a farm 200 miles way; that takes a lot of rain!  We didn't have "normal" weather this year.  Trees died.  The ground cracked.  A couple of groundhogs/woodchucks ate every plant in our garden.  It was bad.  I knew it.  I even started taking shorter showers.  (The agony!) Then this sign went up down the street from my house:

I took this picture during last week's rain (Issac's remains.) We're still in a drought because our water table was so low.

I've mentioned before that this summer we've had a very severe drought but this sign inspired me to do want to do even more.  But what else could I do?  I already made Mr. Green Stuff put in one of those dual-flush, low-flow toilets.  I cut my shower time in half.  (Did I mention the agony involved there??) We don't water our lawn or wash our cars.  We have a rain barrel.  We only run our high efficiency washing machine or dishwasher when they are full.  What else???  I needed another little thing.  

Then it hit me.  What about all the water I waste just waiting for it to get hot enough?  I remember reading somewhere about placing a bucket in the shower to catch wasted water.  I tried this but it didn't seem to catch much.  Then I realized that if I just put the bucket in the bathtub, run the water into it until it warms up enough to tolerate, then I could turn on the shower and no longer waste the gallon or so that was cold. 

I snagged this old paint bucket from the garage.

If those groundhogs/woodchucks hadn't been so desperate for food this year, I would have watered my garden with all this "found" water.  (We somehow manage to fill that bucket at least every other day - that was a lot of wasted water!)  Instead, I have the fullest window boxes of my life!

Naturally, I didn't plant peppers and basil in there this year!

I'm actually embarrassed to admit that I hadn't done more to save water but now it's out there.  I'm doing better... and so are my flowers.  

Has weather inspired you to make a change this summer?

Peace,

Stacey