Let’s face it – we are living in a land of water abundance and we have never had to think about our consumption of water, until now.
Reducing your use of water is not difficult to do, especially since we have been using water at ‘alarming rates’. According to Environment Canada, in 2004, the average Canadian daily domestic use of fresh water per capita was 329 litres. This is double the European usage and nearly 100 times what is used in developing countries!
What can you do to reduce your water usage?
- Turn off the water when you are brushing or shaving. By turning off the tap, you are saving several litres. Multiply this action on a daily basis per family member, and you can save thousands of litres per month!
- Take shorter showers. A 10-minute shower can use up to 300 litres of water. Try reducing to 5 or even 3 minutes. You can even go as far as turning off the shower while you lather up or shampoo.
- Reduce the number of toilet flushes. At least half of all water use in a home is used for flushing the toilet or taking showers. Newer toilets are more efficient than older models as they use fewer litres per flush. If you have an old cistern, replace it with a more efficient one, and try flushing less. Keep the old adage – “if its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down” in mind!
- Eliminate water leaks in your faucets and toilets. A faucet dripping one drop of water per second wastes nearly 34 litres per day. A leaking toilet can waste up to 15 gallons of water per day if left unrepaired. Repairing these leaks can help cut your water consumption considerably.
- Keep bottles of drinking water in the fridge. This means you don’t have to let the water run until it gets cold. Better still, use ice.
- Start using smart devices. There are lots of gadgets that are now available that help regulate water usage. They are easy to use and easy to install.