Did you know that 75% of the Earth is covered in water? You may think that this means plenty of water for both animals and humans worldwide, but this is not true: only around 2½ % of water is drinkable, and that small number is rapidly depleting, as it is polluted by garbage, pesticides and chemicals. Out of that 2½%, around 1% of water is locked in glaciers, leaving us with just over 1% of fresh, clean drinking water for the world to share. Yet, clean water is wasted every single day, whether by leaving the tap on while brushing teeth or using sprinklers to water a lawn rather than soaker hoses. Every time our water goes down the drain, it is sent back to be cleaned again, each time, using more chemicals and energy to clean water that often isn’t even dirty. People in less fortunate countries may travel miles to take dirty, unsanitary water from a well. By reducing and reusing the amount of water we use each day, we can all step up and take part in conserving the world’s resources.
1. Shower:
- Take showers instead of baths.
- Take short showers.
- Take cooler showers.
- Only turn on shower head while rinsing off.
- Install a low-flow shower head.
2. Dishes:
- Only turn on the dishwasher if you have a full load.
- If washing dishes by hand, use two bowls: One with soap and warm water to clean dishes in and one with cold water to rinse dishes off.
3. Toilet:
- Remember this rhyme: If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.
- If replacing your toilet, buy a low-flow or dual flush toilet.
- Place a “Toilet Dam” in your toilet tank (look under Eco Crafts in Fun Stuff for instructions).
4. Tap:
- Never leave a tap running.
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.
- Store cold water in a jug in your fridge and get hot water from your tap, instead of letting the water run, while waiting for it to turn hot or cold.
- Repair leaky taps.
- Install a low-flow tap.
5. Garden:
- Install a rain barrel to collect water from your gutters to water plants.
- Use “Gray Water” (leftover water from washing dishes, baths, etc.) to water plants as long as it contains biodegradable soaps and materials (Note: do not use this on edible plants).
- Cut grass longer and leave grass clippings on soil after mowing (short cutting encourages growth, which needs more water and grass clippings will reduce evaporation and return nutrients to the soil).
- Use soaker hoses to water your garden (Soaker hoses have small holes in them where water comes out. You can place a soaker hose along the plants in your garden and cover it with dirt, so when you turn it on, the water will leak out on to the plants. This reduces evaporation)
6. Cars:
- Wash cars less often.
- Wash your car with a bucket of cold water and soap and a sponge rather than a hose.
