Water Saving TipsWater is a scare resource. It is evident from the fact that 97percent of the total water on the mother earth is saline. Out ofremaining 03 percent fresh water 77 percent is in form ofglaciers. Only about 11 percent is extractable and 01 percent isonly readily available as surface water in rivers and lacks etc.Therefore water needs to be conserved.Here are some domestic water saving tips.

Place a bucket in the shower tocatch excess water and use this towater plants.

In the shower, turn water on to getwet; turn off to lather up; then turnback on to rinse off. Repeat whenwashing your hair.

If using washing machine,wash only full load.

Do not use running waterto thaw meat or other frozenfoods.

Consider installing an instant waterheater on your kitchen sink so youdon't have to let the water run whileit heats up. This will reduce waterheating costs for your household.

When washing dishes byhand, fill one sink or basinwith soapy water. Quicklyrinse under a slow movingstream from the faucet.

In case of urinals, automaticflushing cisterns should not beused and only dripping ferrulesmay be used.

Saving Water (Indoors) Verify that your home is leak free

through pipe line. If having anyleakage through pipe line, taps,water tanks etc., it should beattended immediately.

Repair dripping faucets byreplacing washers. If your faucet isdripping at a rate of one drop persecond, you can expect to waste2,700 gallons per year.

If the toilet handles frequentlysticks in the flush position lettingwater run constantly, replace oradjust it. Use low flow taps, lowcapacity cisterns.

Avoid flushing the toiletunnecessarily. Dispose of tissues,insects and other similar waste inthe trash rather than the toilet.

Never pour down water from thedrain when there may beanother use for it such aswatering a plant or garden, or forcleaning.

Don't let water run while shavingor washing your face.

Saving Water (Outdoors)

Plant it smart. Drought efficientlandscaping is a great way todesign, install and maintain bothyour plants and irrigationsystem. More importantly, it willsave time, money and water.

Don't allow sprinklers to wateryour street, driveway orsidewalk. Position them so thatwater lands on the lawn andshrubs and not on the pavedareas. Do not leave sprinklers orhoses unattended.

Install most water efficientirrigation devices e.g. Micro anddrip irrigation.

Raise the lawn mover blade to atleast three inches or to its highestlevel. A higher cut encouragesgrass roots to grow deeper,shades the root system and holdssoil moisture better than a closely-clipped lawn.

Use mulch to retain moisture inthe soil. Mulch also helps controlweeds that compete withlandscape plants for water.

Use a shut-off nozzle on yourhose which can be adjusted downto a fine spray so that water flowsonly as needed.

Consider using a commercialcar/bike wash that recycles water.If you wash your own car/bike,park on the grass and use a hosewith an automatic shut-off nozzle.

Avoid purchasing recreationalwater toys which require aconstant stream of water.

Avoid over fertilizing your lawn.Fertilizer applications increasethe need for water.

Plant those grasses, shrubs andtrees that require less water.

Avoid the installation ofornamental water features (suchas fountains) unless the water isrecycled.

Water lawns during the earlymorning hours whentemperatures and wind speedare the lowest. This reduceslosses from evaporation.

Promote rainwater harvestingspecially roof top rain waterharvesting.

General Water Saving Tips:

Get involved in watermanagement issues. Voiceyour questions and concerns atpublic meetings conducted byyour local government or watermanagement district.

Be aware of and follow allwater conservation and watershortage rules in effect in yourcommunity. Don't assume --even if you get your water froma private well - that you neednot observe good water userules. Every drop counts.

Encourage your employees/colleagues to promote waterconservation in the workplace.Suggest that waterconservation be put inemployee orientation andtraining programs.

Disclaimer

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA GOVERNMENT OF INDIA -- MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(For Official use only)(For Official use only)

WATER SAVING TIPS

CAMTECH/C/2011-12/WST/1.0September- 2011

INDIAN RAILWAY CENTRE FOR ADVANCED MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

Maharajpur, Gwalior – 474 005 (M.P.)

The information contained in this pamphlet does not supercede anyexisting provisions laid down in RDSO & Rly. Board instructions. Thisdocument is not statutory & instructions given in it are for thepurpose of guidance only.

Report all significant waterlosses (broken pipes, openhydrants, errant sprinklers,abandoned free-flowing wells,etc.) to the property owner, localauthorities or your water agency.

Encourage to develop andpromote water conservationethics, among children andadults.

Ensure the water-meterconnection to save the un-necessary wastage of water.

If we save water we will alsosave energy as well as moneyby way of less waterrequirement and less energy forpumping etc. Few domestic tipsas given in this pamphlet andother tips may be adopted tosave water.