Homeowners find creative uses for saving water - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Homeowners are fighting the drought with garden hoses, while uncounted gallons of water waste away.

If you really want to get serious about saving water, we found some ideas you probably haven't thought of.

Consider the noisy basement dehumidifier, for one. How many quarts of water come out of a dehumidifier everyday? Instead of pouring it down the drain, pour it over your parched flowers. There could be enough water in the dehumidifier to water six potted plants.

The Internet is a fountain of ideas for putting so-called "gray water" - water often wasted - to good use.

How much cold water is wasted while you wait for it to run hot? Instead of letting in pour down the drain, put it in a bucket and pour it over your flowers. The same bucket trick works for the shower.

Water used to cook veggies or pasta shouldn't be wasted, either.

"There's tons of water that gets wasted everyday. Wasted, I say, it's gone, not used for anything," said Butler University professor Dr. Tim Carter.

Carter is the director of Butler's Center for Urban Ecology.

"Anytime you're turning on the tap, that's water that's, in some way, was available to be used, maybe in ways than what you thought of," Carter said.

Your washing machine, with the right detergent and a little plumbing, becomes a great source of gardening water. So is your central air conditioner. The little trickle of water amounts to 8-10 gallons per day. Saving it, though, can be tricky. You have to make sure the water goes in a bucket and not over the floor.

When it rains again, put it in a barrel. Priced at about $100, they are selling well.

"It doesn't do the rain dance trick, but it will collect the water and save it for when you need it," said Bill Ballard, Sullivan Hardware.

Now that hoses are turning off, homeowners will have to water with creativity.

More ideas:

Conserving water

Tips from Earth Easy

Water - Use It Wisely