10 water saving tips in honour of World Water Day
World Water Day, 22nd of March 2024
Water. Possibly the most critical resource on our planet. It sustains ALL life on Earth, and without it, life would not be possible. It is what makes our home so unique as it forms the foundation of all life. It is vital to our environment, individual health, agriculture needs, sanitation, human rights, sustainability, economic growth, and more. Its multitude of uses and hence significance, mean that A LOT depends on it. And more specifically, us.
Clean water is a finite resource and we have unfortunately been taking it for granted. Used massively for development and growth, there is an evident discrepancy between how developed and developing countries consume the amount available. And what's more is that not all water is created or utilised equally, from accessibility to cleanliness, rendering the issue around water a very complex challenge to tackle.
So let's dive a bit into the two main problems around water scarcity before we share valuable tips to respect and save such an indispensable resource.
Population growth - sustaining over 8 billion people is not an easy task, nor is it necessarily what our planet is capable of handling. The exponential growth of our population has led to global water scarcity due to increasing demand.
Water pollution - in terms of water scarcity, the biggest issue is the availability of quality and clean water. Water pollution has become a major problem in today’s world. Here are some figures to demonstrate the extent of water pollution and its implications:
Around 2 billion people worldwide don’t have access to safe drinking water.
Roughly 18% of the global population defecate openly, which harms the quality of nearby water sources and poses a serious risk to human health.
Inadequate access to clean drinking water and sanitation in cities results in severe health problems like cholera, malaria, and diarrhea.
Approximately 3% of all deaths worldwide are attributed to insufficient or unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene, this includes 15 million children under the age of 5.
Each day, more than 2 million tonnes of sewage, industrial waste, and agricultural runoff are released into the world's water.
According to a survey conducted by Food & Water Watch, around 3.5 billion people will likely face water shortages in 2025, primarily due to water pollution.
All these numbers are projected to increase due to climate change and population growth. Water scarcity is at great risk and will continue to pose further threat to our humanity as well as our planet’s wellbeing. We can go on about the complexity around water and the related consequences, however we won’t deviate too much in today’s blog. More information can be found on the United Nations website here.
With all of this said, what are the solutions to prevent water scarcity? We can all play our part in saving water, and it all starts with small changes in our behaviour and changes we can do from our home.
Take showers over baths. An average shower consumes around 65 litres of water, whilst a bath consumes twice as much. Make sure to also keep your showers short and sweet (preferably under 4 minutes), and further minimise your water consumption by switching off the flow when applying soap/shampoo.
Turn off the tap. Similarly, switch off your tap when you are shaving and brushing your teeth or face. This practice also applies to when you are washing your fruits and vegetables, as well as your dishes. You get the point! Avoid letting the water run when unnecessary.
Your toilet is NOT a bin. Don't use your toilet as a trashcan to flush down your tissues or other waste. Did you know that an average flush uses around 27 litres of water? That's a lot for just some tissues that could be discarded into your bins instead.
Reuse your water. Save and use your leftover cooking water or washing water from your fruits and veg to water your plants. You can also collect your shower water with a bucket while you're letting it run to heat up.
Use water saving devices. For example, install low-flow adaptors on your taps and showers to receive the same amount of pressure whilst consuming less water. Prioritise using water efficient shower heads, dual flush toilet cistern, and pay attention to the water efficiency labels before purchasing a product (e.g. washing machines, dishwashers, etc.). There are many tools out there that you can purchase to reduce the flow of water so they can help you minimise water consumption without you even noticing.
Fix leaks. Check your taps regularly for any leaks under your sink or any drips from your tap when it's off. Remember, every little drop counts plus it'll help keep your bathroom or kitchen much cleaner.
Don't thaw food under a running tap. Avoid defrosting your frozen food under running water. Plan ahead! Remove your food from your freezer to let it thaw overnight in the fridge instead.
Fully loaded. Schedule your laundry days! Only run the washing machines when you have a full load. The same principle applies with the dishwashers, make sure it's full before letting the machine do the magic work.
Use a bucket. Avoid letting the hose run, use a bucket and a sponge instead to wash your car.
Keep it cold. Planning ahead saves you a lot of time and water. Fill up jugs of water to store in the fridge for cold water rather than running the tap until the water gets cold. Plus, this way guarantees you very COLD water which is a great bonus.
Bonus tip: we know we said we will only give you 10 tips, but this is an extra one to complete the list. Educate! Teach the future generations who tend to love playing with water to not do so, and spread awareness to everyone around you on how to save water. Even your water bills will thank you later.
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