Celebrate World Water Day!
Samantha Nurse, Website and Social Media Coordinator
Water is essential to life. It supports billions upon billions of living things, sustains vital ecosystem functions, provides habitat for hundreds of thousands of species of aquatic flora and fauna, and offers unparalleled recreational opportunities for those of us looking to connect with nature.
Today, people in every part of the world are taking part in the international celebration of World Water Day, and we think you should too! The theme of this year’s World Water Day is wastewater with the slogan “Why waste water?”. Be sure to check out the official website to learn about wastewater and how we can reduce and reduce it in our homes.
In Canada, we’ve extended the celebration of World Water Day to an entire week of water learning and water loving. People across the country are organizing events of all kinds to bring people together to share their stories, to increase awareness and to help people understand the true value of water. Check out the Canada Water Week website for event listings – with so many things being planned, there’s bound to be an event in your area!
If you’re curious to know just how much water you use, try out the Water Use Calculator, or go on over to the Water Footprint Network’s Water Footprint Calculator. We also have a few ways that you can reduce your water intake throughout your home in some tips below.
Tips to Reducing Use of Water
- When planting a garden or landscaping a lawn, be sure to plant native trees and bushes. They’re naturally adapted to your specific climate, and are much less dependent on constant watering to survive and flourish.
- Use rain barrels to collect water runoff that you can use to water your lawn or garden. This helps to reduce your use of treated water and can lessen the burden on municipal stormwater infrastructure by collecting and reusing water that would otherwise be nothing more than surface water runoff.
- Invest in fixtures such as low-flush toilets, low-flow showerheads, and faucet aerators. This can significantly reduce the amount of water you use in your home – bathroom use accounts for 65% of all indoor water use!
- Soak your dishes in warm water and soap before washing them, and don’t leave the water running when you wash them.
- Rinse your fruits and vegetables in a bowl of water rather than under the tap, and use the water that is left in the bowl to water your plants.
- Take shorter showers – even cutting down your shower time by 2 minutes can have a huge impact on your overall consumption of water.
This is by no means a comprehensive list – far from it! There are thousands of ways that you can reduce your use and become water-wise. Have any great suggestions or tips on how to save water? Share with us through Facebook or Twitter. And Happy World Water Day!
