Ideas to Save Water

With over 100 towns/municipalities already under the state of calamity in the Philippines, we want to empower you with simple ideas on how to save and store water.

Here are some easy ways to SAVE water for your home:

1. Use Pails and Dippers
   Ditch running showers or high-flow bidets. Using a pail and dipper lets you control and track exact water usage during baths and toilet visits.

2. Practice Dual-Basin (Palanggana) Dishwashing
   Avoid leaving the tap running while scrubbing dishes. Fill one basin (palanggana) with soapy water for washing and another with clean water for rinsing. Scrape off leftover food before washing to minimize water needs.

3. Reuse Laundry Greywater (Banlaw)
   Save the final rinse water (huling banlaw) from handwashing or washing machine cycles. Reuse it to flush toilets, clean garage floors, or wash vehicle tires.

4. Turn Off Taps while Brushing Teeth
   Use a single cup or glass (baso) of water for rinsing when brushing teeth instead of letting the faucet run continuously.

5. Harvest Rainwater When It Rains
   Set up clean drums (drum) or buckets under roof gutters during short rain showers to collect water. Use this stored rainwater for general cleaning, outdoor sweeping, or flushing toilets.

6. Check and Fix Leaking Pipes Immediately
   Inspect faucets, hose connections, toilet tanks, and household pipes for silent drips or leaks. A single dripping tap can waste hundreds of liters of water each month.

7. Optimize Plant Watering Times
   Water household plants or gardens early in the morning (before sunrise) or late in the afternoon (after sunset). This minimizes rapid evaporation caused by midday heat.

8. Maximize Washing Machine Loads
   Accumulate full loads of laundry before running the washing machine. Avoid running half-empty cycles or leaving manual washing basins (batya) to overflow.

9. Wash Cars with Buckets, Not Hoses
   If washing a vehicle, use a bucket and rag/sponge rather than a garden hose. Using a running hose can waste up to 100 liters of water in just ten minutes. Avoid washing just because its a habit. Wash only when dirty. 

10. Store Water Responsibly in Clean Containers
    To prepare for emergency water interruptions or low-pressure advisories, store clean water in sealed, food-grade containers. Keep them tightly covered to prevent mosquito breeding during hot spells.