Count the number of times you turn on a tap each day, from brushing your teeth to washing your car to making your evening cup of cocoa.
Now multiply that amount by the number of members in your family.
That adds up to a lot of water, about 335 litres of water each day per person. On a per capita basis, Canadians are the second highest water consumers in the world.
Demand for water is on the rise, from increased populations, manufacturing, irrigation and other manmade uses. Meantime pollution, declining water tables and prolonged drought conditions are shrinking the usable supply.
Using less water is essential not only to ensure a steady supply of water, but also to lower water and heating bills associated with pumping water to our homes and warming it for various household uses.
Shutting off water when it's not being used and using less water to do the same job are two simple ways you can preserve this precious resource, before it literally goes down the drain.
Go with the low-flow
Installing a low-flow shower head will be a very smart addition to your water conservation plans.
Available at most home building and supply stores, these fixtures use about half the water of a conventional shower head. Buy a model with a shut-off button that allows you to interrupt the flow while you lather up or shampoo.
A better flush
About 65 per cent of indoor home water use occurs in our bathrooms, and toilets are the single greatest water users.
Upgrading your toilet can lead to significant water savings that you can bank on over the life of the purchase.
Replacing an 18-litreper-flush toilet with an ultra-low-volume six-litre flush model represents a 66 per cent savings in water flushed and will cut indoor water use by about 30 per cent.
The dual-flush toilet takes water-efficiency one step further by using six litres of water to flush solid waste but only three litres to flush liquid waste.
Stop the leaks
Leaky fixtures waste a huge amount of water. A hot water faucet that leaks one drip per second will waste 9,000 litres per year, while a toilet that runs after flushing can waste up to 200,000 litres of water in a year.
Fix leaking faucets as soon as possible. To find out if your toilet is leaking, put two or three drops of food colouring in the tank at the back of the toilet. Wait a few minutes. If the colour shows up in the bowl, there's a leak.
If your toilet leaks, make sure the flapper valve inside the tank is sitting properly in the valve seat.
Also check the flush valve lift wires are not bent or misaligned and that the valve seat is not corroded.
All of these can be fixed easily and inexpensively.
If, however, the leak is around the base of the toilet where it sits on the floor, call a professional.
More Water Conservation Tips
. Take quick showers instead of baths; you'll use up to 50 per cent less hot water.
. When washing or shaving, partially fill the sink and use that water rather than running the tap continuously.
. Turn the water off while you are brushing your teeth.
