WATER CONSERVATION 

Water is one of our most precious, yet undervalued resources.

Although water may seem like a renewable resource, in fact only 2.5% of the total water on earth is suitable for drinking. Furthermore, only 0.01% of the total amount of drinkable water is readily accessible. In other words, the world's supply of fresh water is indeed limited and steps must be taken to conserve that supply.

We use water everyday at home in so many situations that we take it pretty much for granted. Water wisdom begins at home, by becoming aware of our water using habits.

Most of us waste so much water we can easily cut back. The need for water conservation does not result from the fact that we use water, but rather that we frequently use more than we need.

Water conservation doesn't mean cramping one's lifestyle by doing without, but simply means reducing the amount of water wasted.

Each one of us can play a significant role in improving the quality and protecting the quantity of our water resource by practicing some basic rules of conservation.
 
 
 
                                                         WATER FACTS 
 

The typical apartment consumes water as follows:

Each of us uses about 340 liters of water EACH day - just indoors!

Leak of one drop per second wastes more than 25 liters of water a day -that's about 10,000 liters of water a year. The larger the leak, the more water is lost.

The bathroom accounts for about 65% of the water used inside the home.

Toilet that runs on after flushing can leak at the rate of 20 to 40 liters per hour - that's 200,000 to 400,000 liters per year - enough to fill 1 to 2 large in-ground swimming pools.

As many as 25% of all toilets leak.

Toilet with a "silent" leak can waste up to 45 liters of water per hour.

The shower is the second heaviest water user in the home, averaging flow rates of  15 to 20 liters per minute.

Hand washing dishes twice a day uses about 70 liters of water.

Running dishwasher loaded to capacity once per day uses only about 40 liters of water.

An automatic clothes washer uses from 150 to 250 liters of water for each cycle. That's about 20% of total indoor water use.

 
                                  WATER SAVING TIPS

By putting the following water-wise conservation tips into practice, and making them an habitual part of your daily apartment living lifestyle allows YOU to do your share in helping to save thousands of liters of water per year and protecting the environment.
 
SHOWERS & BATHS

Take short showers instead of baths. A quick shower uses less hot water than a bath in a full tub. A full bathtub requires about 136 liters of water. A five-minute shower will use just 55 - 95 liters.

Shorten your shower time. Learn to take "sailor showers", turn off the tap when you're lathering and on again to rinse off.

If you must, or prefer a bath, don't overfill the tub, 1/2 full should be enough.

If you're taking a bath, put in the plug and turn on the hot water. Let it run until the water gets hot before adjusting the temperature with cold water.

Plug the sink when you wash your hands or shave. You can rinse your hands or razor in the basin water.

You can save 10 to 20 liters of water each time you shave by filling the basin, instead of letting the water run continuously.

Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, and use short bursts of water for rinsing.

With the tap running at full force, shaving takes 75 liters of water, teeth brushing takes 38 liters and hand washing takes 8 liters of water.

TOILET FLUSHING

Watch for leaks in your toilet. Your toilet may have an invisible leak. Test it by putting 10 drops of food coloring in the tank. Wait 15 minutes. If there is any colour in the toilet bowl then you have a leak in the tank.

Do not use chlorine pucks and cleaning liquids in your toilet tank to disinfect your toilet, as they may destroy the rubber and plastic mechanics in your tank. In particular, the flapper may deteriorate causing a leak from the tank to the bowl of the toilet.

Flush the toilet only when necessary.

The toilet is not a garbage pail. Never use it as a wastebasket for tissue, feminine hygiene products, etc. Use your waste basket for things like cosmetic tissues, cotton balls, dental floss, cotton swabs, etc. Flushing things away only wastes water and can cause problems in the plumbing and at the sewage treatment plant.

Never flush  any toxic substance, such as paints, solvents, pesticides, or other chemicals down the toilet.

LAUNDRY

When using the washing machine, adjust the amount of water according to the wash load.

If the washing machine doesn't allow to adjust  the water volume, let the laundry accumulate until you have a full load before operating the machine.

Up to 90% of the energy used for washing clothes goes to heat the water. Washing in warm water not only saves energy, it's easier on your clothes.

KITCHEN & DRINKING

Take foods out of the freezer early to allow plenty of time to thaw. Thawing frozen foods under a running tap wastes water.

Clean fruits and vegetables in a partially filled sink and rinse them quickly.

Reuse sink rinse water for watering house plants.

When boiling vegetables, use only enough water to cover the foods. Steaming uses even less water while conserving more nutrients.

Turn on your dishwasher only when you have a full load.

Don't run the water continuously when washing dishes by hand.

Don't run the tap for a cold glass of water. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge.
 

REPAIR

Turn your taps off tightly but gently so they don't drip.

Always check if your plumbing system is leaking, especially faucets and toilets.

Immediately report for repair any leaks as soon as you find them.

                                            
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