by Dana Guth
College students are constantly flooded with food, drink, and electricity, pushing the concept of environmental conservation to the back burner. This open tap of resources available to us proves problematic when it finally shuts off. The residents in my dorm learned this the hard way when our hall ran out of hot water. Water conservation truly became a lifestyle. Everyone was forced to master the art of the “in-and-out” shower – and it was one of the best environmental wake up calls we could have received.
This is because, as many of us already know, nothing about your shower is “free.” A typical showerhead spews between 2-5 gallons/minute, so that 20-minute shower is sending around 60 gallons down the drain every day. According to Pays To Live Green, shaving off just 5 minutes can save $0.025 per shower — that’s over 4,500 gallons per year. Check out their shower calculator to find out how much water you’re wasting.
College students are not aware of the full cost of water because they don’t see a single water bill during their stay in their dorm. But it’s cold here in Boston and, in the recent absence of hot water on campus, we certainly started to value this precious resource more. Here are 5 simple shower strategies my suitemates and I have adopted to conserve water:
1) Lessen water pressure
Most dorms won’t allow residents to install low-flow shower heads, but there are other ways to slow down the pressure. Keep the flow on its lowest setting by only partially turning on the water while it heats up. This reduces waste whenever pressure isn’t actually needed.
2) Create a shower playlist
Put together 3-4 songs that add up to around 10 minutes. This helps to stay on track and be mindful of the passing time. Challenge yourself to finish your shower before the end of the playlist. When you achieve that goal, cut the playlist down by a song!
3) Combine shampoo + conditioner
There are plenty of quality shampoo/conditioner fusions on the market that are sure to shave off a few minutes in the shower. If you can’t forgo one or the other, try swapping in a combo just once or twice per week. (Phasing out shampoo can also train your hair to slow down its oil production: read more here)
4) Take a break to shave
As you shower, place a bucket under the stream to collect soap and hot water. Then, when it’s time to shave, turn it off until you’re ready to rinse – using the water you’ve collected instead of the showerhead. This prevents the draining of 5 minutes (or more)’s worth of water for those who shave large portions of their body. Plus, it facilitates a way faster process in the cold!
5) Try out the “staggered” shower
Also called the “navy” or “sea” shower, the “staggered” shower is an efficient water conservation strategy: take the bucket idea from #4, but apply it to shampooing, conditioning, shaving, and lathering.It might sound extreme, but turning off running water when you don’t need to rinse is no doubt the most effective way to save energy.
Showering accounts for 17% of our residential water use on college campuses, so it’s vital not to think of your shower as a limitless indulgence. Be mindful of the time spent under the tap and remember: just 1-2 minutes less in a day can save hundreds of gallons a year.
