Our water supply is derived mainly from rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. However, the majority of the most significant rivers in the world are severely contaminated and depleted. Climate change and population increase add to the stress on our water supplies as the plants and fauna that filter our groundwater naturally are quickly disappearing. The fact that most of us will experience water shortages within the next ten years is one that is being discussed more and more. It already is for many.
We frequently take the water we receive and utilise in our cities, towns, and homes for granted. Additionally, the impact that our everyday activities have on the water supplies that sustain us is frequently ignored.
Unknowingly, you contribute to the pollution and depletion of our rivers in a variety of ways, including the amount of water you use at home, the cleaning supplies you use, and the everyday items you buy.
Here are 12 ways you, your family, and your friends can collectively reduce their impact on our shared water resources!
1. Use cleaner household products instead.
Avoid using phosphate-containing detergents, triclosan-containing cleaning supplies, and antibacterial soaps, all of which are harmful to aquatic life.
2. Be careful in your kitchen.
Instead of letting the water run, rinse your produce in a container or washing-up bowl. Fill one side of the sink when washing by hand, then quickly rinse in the other. Each time, this saves gallons. Whenever you can, limit your beverage consumption to one glass each day to reduce the number of dishes you need to wash. If possible look at installing energy and water-efficient dishwasher. Studies have shown that modern dishwashers help to conserve water considerably.
3. Please be careful in your bathroom.
Even a one-minute cut in shower time can save up to 150 gallons of water per month, and showers under five minutes can save up to 5000 gallons! Reduce the number of baths you take because they can use up to 70 gallons of water. And if you have to run the water to warm it up, fill buckets while it is running. This can be used to soak clothes, water plants, fill pots for cooking, or wash dishes!
4. Own a vehicle responsibly.
To prevent dangerous product leaks on the roads that wash into our rivers and other water resources, take your used motor oil to a recycling facility and perform regular maintenance. Try to wash your car over or near a plant area if you do it at home to make the most of the water runoff (and use eco-friendly products if you do!). Additionally, refrain from washing your driveways with water and tell your neighbourhood businesses to do the same. It should only require a quick sweep.
5. Properly dispose of all chemicals.
Extending the advice regarding cleaning and maintaining cars, keep paints, turps, and other chemicals away from your toilet, sink, and drain. Additionally, never flush medicines!
6. Maintain a Water-Efficient Home.
Install water-saving showerheads, washing machines, and toilets. When you don’t require the water pressure at its highest setting, lower it. Fix leaks as soon as you can (each second of leaking can add up to 5 gallons of water per day), and only run full loads of laundry or dishwasher cycles.
7. Create water-wise gardens.
Avoiding lawns is a good place to start. They squander a lot of lands and are highly bad for the ecology. They overuse chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which contaminate groundwater and surface waters. Plant native species to further limit the need for pesticides and fertilizers while also aiding in water conservation. In order to reduce excessive evaporation, you can also collect rainwater in barrels to water plants. Watering should be done in the early morning or late evening. Last but not least, applying mulch to your vegetable beds will help them retain moisture, requiring less watering overall.
8. Pick up litter and warn those who leave it.
When it rains, debris from public areas is carried into our waterways. This also applies to picking up after your dog, as bacteria-filled insect faeces also find their way into those waterways.
9. Hire a “green plumber.”
Hire a plumber who can help your home use less water if you can afford to do so. Long-term, you’ll also save money thanks to it!
10. Encourage education about water conservation.
Use your voice to encourage water-wise behaviours at work, in your community, and in the classroom.
11. Support charitable organizations that protect water.
Look for organizations that are doing fantastic work, and support them financially or with your time by volunteering!
12. Eat Healthfully. Agriculture is one of the biggest water suckers.
Massive amounts of water are used to grow your food, so don’t waste it. And reducing or eliminating meat from your diet, especially red meat, makes a huge difference. A single pound of beef takes an average of 1,800 gallons to produce. Go organic and hormone and antibiotic-free whenever possible, because that means fewer pesticides and harmful contaminants ending up in our waterways too.
“Save Water, Save Life” this quote makes all the sense because water is the source of life. You can prevent daily water waste by using these easy water-saving tips. And this in turn can help us create a country that is water self-sufficient, where everyone has year-round access to safe drinking water.
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