It’s no secret that California is facing a tremendous storm of dehydration and dry heat. Even the most plentiful city now appears to be a dusty and desolate ghost town that not even cowboys would want to visit.

Frontiersmen traveled on horseback hoping to wrangle in the riches of the west, naming it the “Golden State” for a reason, but now the crisp grasses and dry lake beds give that motto a whole new meaning. Not even John Wayne can lasso a raincloud to save us, however, with some sharp shooting, and a plan of action, we can turn this desert town into an oasis once again.

tumblr_mv8g6bhaxg1rf3sxqo1_500There really is only one way to wrangle up and recycle water easily in the home, and that’s to harness every last drop when possible by making sure none of it goes to waste. And I mean NONE of it!

The problem, mostly, is that perfectly good water is spiraling down the drain unused. Obviously you make sure to turn off the water when brushing your teeth and soaping your hands, but what about when heating up the shower? I know, you simply cannot turn off the water when waiting for it to heat up (unless you want to boil your water over a woodstove like they used to do in the olden days). So what else can you do?

Fortunately there are several ways to save this water, and it will save you a fortune on your next water bill as well:

First Step

Place a five-gallon bucket under the faucet in your shower to catch the cold water when waiting for your hot water to come through. If you’re really dedicated to the cause, keep the bucket in the tub while you shower to catch some extra droplets when you are waiting for your hair conditioner to work, while shaving or lathering up the loofa. Before you know it, the bucket is full!

With this, you could save up to five gallons of water each shower!

Second Step

Just like the shower, place a small tub in your sink to gather the cold water while waiting for the rest of it to heat up. You can collect more when you wait to wash your hands or do dishes.

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Third Step

Gather natural rainwater (if we are ever blessed with some heavenly dew) with runoff barrels and buckets. These are placed at the end of drainpipes to corral the rain instead of watching it run off into the sunset…and down the storm drains.

Final Step

Fix the leaks! Make sure all your plumbing is prime because leaks can allow gallons of water to escape daily. For quick fixes (because sometimes ye oldie bank is low on funds) duct tape pipes and hoses to temporarily maintain a wholesome flow and place cups under bigger drops to catch the falling H2O. But it may be time to think about replacing pipes and plumbing before long.

Now that you have buckets of perfect water placed delicately around your house, the next question, of course, would be what to do with it all. Water restrictions only allow us a few days of water freedom, which let’s face it, cause more tumbleweeds than thriving flowers. Now, you can use those buckets of extra water to refresh your garden without using any additional H2O. Use the buckets to wash your car and pets too! It’s practically free water!

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It’s time to gather your posse, partner, so round up your buckets because the drought is still among us in this ghost town. However, with some smart thinking and supplies, you can save gallons of water each day and stow more gold away in your bank and wallet.

If you have any more questions or comments about your part in the round-up for water or need some water saving fixes of your own, contact Care One Plumbing or call us at (909) 657-2345.


(Sources: Walter Wagner Productions)