How to Recycle Fresh Water

Fresh water is a limited resource that is often wasted down the drain. You can save a lot of the fresh water that you use and recycle it in a number of ways. Recycling your fresh water will cut down on your water bill and reduce the amount of energy expended to purify tap water that is redistributed to your home. Taking the extra steps to recycle water is yet another thing you can do to reduce your imprint on the planet. You can choose to recycle only some of your water or recycle almost of all your fresh water.

Instructions

• 1

  Keep a bucket or barrel outside to collect rainwater when it rains. This water can be used to water your plants in times of little rainfall or you could even wash your car with it.

• 2

  Put a small bucket outside underneath window unit air conditioners to catch the drips of condensation. Those small drips of water can quickly add up to an entire bucket that you can use to water your flowers.

• 3

  Put a sterile bucket under your bathtub spout to catch the cold water that flows while you wait for the water to get hot. This is clean tap water that you can use to brush your teeth with, drink, rinse vegetables or cook with.

• 4

  Keep a dishpan in your sink to catch your rinse water from washing vegetables, rinsing your hands or rinsing a drinking glass. This water can be used to water your garden or lawn.

• 5

  Boil food in a pot with a built-in strainer that allows you to lift the strainer and food out of the water, rather than pouring the water down your sink. Water from boiling eggs can be reused to rinse vegetables, while starchy pasta water is better used for watering plants.

• 6

  Wash your dishes in a dishpan and collect the "gray water" in a bucket that you can use to flush toilets or water your lawn. This may sound extreme, but you'll be glad you saved that water if your well pump ever stops working or there's a burst water line in your area that prevents you from flushing your toilet.