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Water Aware
Water conservation benefits everyone
Did you know that
Canadians use
the second
largest amount of household
water in the world?
While Canada may have
a lot of the world's
renewable fresh water
(7%), we are also big
water wasters. What
many Canadians don't
know is just how easy it
is to reduce our water
waste every day. Being
aware of how much
water you are using is
the first step to sustaining
one of the world's
most valuable resources.
Flushing toilets can
be the greatest household
water consumer.
Most toilets use 15 to 23
litres of water for each
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May 2008 • Ottawa 14 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
flush. Placing a small brick or a jar filled
with water in the back of your toilet
will reduce the amount of water stored
in the tank and used for each flush.A lot
of water is also wasted while we shower.
Leave the singing to the stars and
keep your shower short.
The kitchen is another source of
wasted water. While most of us don't
enjoy washing the dishes, wasting water
in the process makes it even less fun.
Dishwashers are actually a more efficient
method – using about 35% less
water than washing dishes by hand –
but be sure to only run the dishwasher
when it's full to conserve even more
water. In fact, many new appliances on
the market are now manufactured to be
more water and energy efficient. Check
the Energy Star website www.energystar.gov
for more information on which
appliances are Energy Star qualified, and
what government rebates are available
when you purchase these efficient
appliances. Finally, for those quick thirst
quenchers, store a pitcher of water with
a built in filter like those available from
Brita, in the fridge for a cool quick drink
rather than running the tap until the
water is cold.
While on the go, don't be tempted
to purchase an expensive bottle of
water from the corner store. Be prepared
and bring a reusable bottle filled
with tap water with you.Tap water costs
a fraction of the price. Plus, a reusable
bottle is more environmentally friendly
than plastic disposable bottles that fill
up our landfills. Check out
FilterForGood.ca to purchase a reusable
water bottle – proceeds go towards supporting
The Nature Conservancy.
Source: News Canada