As I sit at my desk writing this article, a tall glass is placed next to my laptop, half full (positivity!) of water. Filling a glass with fresh, clean water from the tap in my kitchen has become a mindless task and I hardly ever give thought to how lucky I am to have safe drinking water available to me just a few steps away, whenever I want it.
However 2.2 billion people globally face a very different reality, without the luxury of ‘water-on-demand’. In fact, the average distance round trip that women and children in the developing world walk for water (water that is often contaminated with life-threatening diseases) is 6km (3.7 miles). Can you imagine having to carry a 20-liter can for 3km every single day?
Climate change, coupled with water mismanagement and overconsumption, is causing droughts and water shortages across many parts of the globe, with 3 billion people being impacted already, and this is only going to worsen over time.
World Water Day is an annual campaign supported by the United Nations to draw attention to the value of fresh water for the environment and highlight the need to fight its scarcity globally.
This topic is very close to my heart, and the reason why I added a few kid-friendly water-saving tips at the end of Two Little Raindrops. I believe that we should help our children to understand the need to conserve water and form water-saving habits from an early age.
I also believe that even small changes can make a big difference in the long run.
We urgently need to protect and preserve this precious resource for future generations. Luckily, there are a few really easy, fuss-free things that you can do at home to save water:
- Depending on the showerhead (older model vs water-efficient), showers can use 8-17 litres per minute.
The average bathtub has a capacity of 140 litres.
Take a quick shower instead of a bath; use water-efficient shower heads - Sprinklers and standard garden hoses can use 18 litres per minute.
Collect rainwater for the garden; use timer settings for sprinklers - If water is left running while brushing teeth, a family of four brushing their teeth twice a day can waste 121 litres of water.
Turn the tap off as often as possible while brushing teeth - A dripping/ leaking tap can waste up to 150 litres of water per day.
Get water leaks fixed as soon as possible - Your dishwasher will use between 13.4 to 60 litres per load/cycle and your washing machine between 61 and 135 litres per wash, depending on the size and water ratings.
Run them with full loads where possible
It’s amazing how small changes repeated consistently become habits in no time. And while we are making a big difference, we will also be saving on our water bill each month! It’s a win-win situation.
Sources
UN World Water Development report
https://beaversdentistry.com/saving-water-while-you-brush-your-teeth/
https://bettermeetsreality.com/how-much-water-common-household-appliances-devices-use/
