With growing worries about water scarcity, the need for businesses and homeowners to conserve water is becoming more and more evident. Fortunately, many of the ways that you can save water on an individual basis are free or inexpensive. Furthermore, almost all of them are relatively easy to implement. Consider the following ways to save both money and water:

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1. Meter Irrigation Separately

Sub-metering irrigation can save significant amounts of money since it allows you to measure the effectiveness of your water-saving efforts. You need to know how much water you are using for irrigation purposes to be able to track your savings accurately. Another benefit of having separate metering comes from the fact that irrigation water is billed differently from water going into a building. Municipalities will bill you for sewage and for water consumption when water is going into a building. They will assume that all of the water leaving the building will wind up at their wastewater treatment plant. Irrigation water is not billed for sewage since it goes into the ground.

2. Maintain Irrigation System

A poorly maintained irrigation system can result in the loss of water and money. Not only can you lose money if there are undetected leaks present, you may be wasting water by watering sidewalks and walkways. Inspections should involve both checks for leaks and ensure that the sprinkler heads are oriented correctly to water the right areas. Also, consider utilizing drip irrigation. It is far more efficient when compared to spray irrigation.

3. Change Flush Valves

When were the toilets in your building installed? Toilets form before 1992 will likely be using more than three times the amount of water that fixtures from after 1992 would use. Modern toilets come equipped with flush valves that use 1.28 gallons per flush, which offers 70 percent savings over toilets from before 1992. Changing the flush valve on a commercial toilet does not involve changing the toilet itself, which means that the cost of the upgrade is minimal. Tank-type toilets can be equipped with a 1.28 gallon per flush flap tank.

4. Touch Free Faucets

Make no mistake, touch free faucets can be pricey additions to your bathroom but these fixtures can pay for themselves faster than you might think. By releasing water only when the sensors detect hands below them, these faucets ensure that no one will leave your water running again. You can get similar benefits from touch-free toilets.

5. Municipalities Can Utilize Membrane Filtration

The idea of reusing water had become more widely accepted in recent years, particularly in areas with unreliable water supplies. In addition, membrane technology has evolved significantly. This form of wastewater treatment allows for efficient and environmentally friendly water purification while minimizing the use of chemicals. Membranes have developed a solid reputation in the area of wastewater and drinking water due to their ability to remove almost all solids from water and most bacteria and viruses. They can remove microbes from water to make it suitable for drinking with additional post-treatment.

The membrane filtration technology utilizes membranes that function like sieves with microscopic pores. Anything in the water that is larger than the pores gets separated. With reverse osmosis, only water molecules can go through the membrane. Additional benefits of membrane filtration systems include the fact that they require little space and have a modular design.