We’re lucky in Canada; we have a large resource of freshwater. However, that’s doesn’t mean we should abuse or waste it. Time spent in the bathrooms guzzles most of the freshwater we consume on a daily basis. Toilets and showers are the main culprits and comprise of nearly 65% of our daily water consumption. But you can make a difference to your water consumption without changing your lifestyle. Here are a couple of simple tips that can help you reduce the pressure we all put on our valuable freshwater resources.
1. Toilet tank water reduction
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The average toilet in Canada uses 18 liters of water per flush! By simply putting a glass jar filled with water (or a plastic bottle filled with water and sand/stones) you can displace around 2 liters of water in your toilet tank. Each time you flush that much water is saved which can quickly add up to over 10 liters of water day.
Simply fill either a glass jar with water, or a plastic bottle with water and sand (to help it sink) and place it into your toilet tank. Make sure that it doesn’t disturb any of the toilets working parts. That’s it! |
2. Limit shower time
The average show head has a flow rate of 17.1 liters per minute. If you shower for 5 – 8 minutes that’s 85.5 – 136.8 liters of water every time you shower! A simple and cheap solution is to install a low flow shower head that uses approximately 9.5 liters per minute and can lower your overall consumption by 38 – 60 liters each time you shower.
An event simpler and cheaper solution though is to try and shorten your shower times. Make a personal challenge and try to shorten your shower by at least one minute and save over 17 liters of water.