World Water Day: Tips to save water

In 1993 the United Nations set March 22 aside as the first World Water Day.

Today, 22 years later, World Water Day is celebrated around the world and encourages people to help out areas that suffer from water-related issues and also to prepare for how we manage water in the future.

Residents on the Dolphin Coast are well aware of water restrictions in place after below average rainfall and had to implement drastic measures to reduce water consumption.

Saving water, even if there are no official water restrictions, are crucial.

This precious resource needs to be managed for future generations.

The UN’s theme this year is Water and Sustainable Development and focus on how water links to all areas we need to comsider to create the future we want.

Sembcorp Siza Water provides the following tips on how to save water with every day:

Rather than washing your car with a running hosepipe, try using a bucket and sponge instead. Just 30 minutes with a hosepipe can use more water than the average family uses in a day.

A dripping tap wastes at least 5,500 litres of water a year: that’s enough water wasted to fill a paddling pool every week for the whole summer.

A bath typically uses around 80 litres, while a short shower can use as little as a third of that amount. But beware since many power-showers actually use more than a bath if you shower for more than five minutes’ you can minimise your water use by reusing your bath water to water your houseplants or garden. Try taking shorter showers to reduce the amount of water you use.

Fill a jug with tap water and leave it to cool in your fridge. This way you don’t have to run the tap for ages just to get a cold drink.

Remember to turn off the tap while brushing your teeth – a running tap wastes over 6 litres per minute.

Check out where your main stop valve is and make sure that you can turn it on and off. If ever a pipe bursts, you’ll know how to cut off the flow.

Cover your swimming pool to reduce water evaporation.