Water Bill Savings

Even with all the rains Northeast Kansas has seen this spring, my plants are taking up the water and the pools need water added a couple times a week.  I haven’t noticed an increase in my water bill, but expect a jump this month and next.  I have barrels to make rain barrels out of, but need someone to assist in building them.  I think that’ll be a fall project.  Until then I’ve decided to help my water bill out a little by saving the water that runs when I start the shower or when I’m waiting for the tap water to heat to wash dishes in the sink.  I collect the water in a bucket, which I take outside and dump in my new trash can turned rain barrel I made with my father last weekend.  The top is an overturned lid with four holes drilled for draining the water into the can.  A spigot was added to allow water to flow out from the bottom.  Since the only water that collects in is the water I’ve added from the buckets and a little bit of rain water, no overflow hole was drilled.  I’ve added mosquito dunks to the can so that no mosquitos breed in the water. 

 

I can easily step out the back door, dump the bucket into the top of the can and return inside.  When it comes time to empty the water, I fill a different bucket using the spigot and dump it into a pool.  I might someday attach a hose. 

 

Speaking of mosquitos, I check the pools several times a week for swimming mosquito larvae.  I’ve found them twice in one of the tomato pools.  Both times the dunks were still there, but had gotten stuck up on a bag and not come down when as the water level lowered.  Both times I was able to find the mosquito dunk, move it back into the water and checked 12 hours later to find the larvae dead. 

 

A funny water bucket story.  I don’t always empty the bucket into the trash can right away and I had left it out on the bathroom floor ¾ full of water one night after showering.  I awoke at 3 something to the sound of Josey messing with the water.  She likes to dig in the buckets and splash water.  I noted that the bathroom floor would be wet when I got up, rolled over and went back to sleep.  I awoke again a few minutes later to the sound of water running.  It was rather loud and I flew out of bed.  Josey had managed to spill the bucket of water, which flowed out of the bathroom, across the hall and down the basement stairs!  Oh my what a mess!  I’ve learned my lesson!  Either dump the bucket right away or keep it in the tub so that water spills down the drain, not across the floor and into the basement!