The Best Ways to Conserve Water

by AL Support March 20, 2017

Water is one of those things in our daily lives that we take for granted. It’s always there and available when we need it. Almost 65 per cent of our bodies are made of it and we’re constantly losing water when we sweat, go to the bathroom and breathe. We can survive around two weeks without food but only three or four days without water.

The average Canadian family of four uses about 1000 L of water every day and the average American family around 1500 L. At the same time, less than 3 per cent of the world water supply is fresh, and most of it is frozen in the Arctic and Antarctica. Globally, fresh water withdrawals have increased by about one per cent per year since the 1980s, mainly due to growing demand in developing countries.

In honour of World Water Day and this year’s theme of Wastewater, here’s a list of other suggestions to cut back on water use:

Turn off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth or scrubbing dishes.
Run your laundry only when there is a full load.
Take shorter showers – around 5 minutes or less.
Water your plants early or late in the day to cut down on evaporation.
Use a broom to clean driveways and walkways versus a hose.
Mulch around plants to help hold moisture in the soil.

Here are over 100 additional ideas to conserve water – from the relatively dry state of Arizona.

The good news is that many jurisdictions have recognized the importance of tracking down leaks to conserve our most important resource. The City of Winnipeg is promoting Fix a Leak Week during the week of March 20, and the Environmental Protection Agency in the US is also encouraging homeowners to identify and fix leaks.

Other municipalities, such as the City of Guelph, have launched comprehensive water efficiency programs. Guelph is offering residents an instant $50 rebate on the purchase of a Flowie water sensor kit. As the largest city in Canada reliant on groundwater, the City of Guelph is a leader in ensuring residents use water wisely.

In the last few months, Alert Labs customers have saved over 5 Million L of water by identifying and fixing leaks. We can all do our part to waste less water.