Water Saving Tips for World Water Day
💧 Today is World Water Day.
While we often think of water shortages and the global water crisis as something only California & Third World Countries are experiencing, it’s important to remember that water issues are happening here at home too:
🚰 29 Indigenous Communities in “Canada” are still without safe drinking water in 2022. Access to clean water is a basic human right & one of UN’s sustainable development goals. Clean water is crucial for human health, including for the growing and cooking of nutritious foods. Currently, 2.2 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking water. (UN, 2022)
🐄 Industrial farming techniques are constantly polluting groundwater and surface waters due to the heavy and increasing use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and other agro chemicals along with huge amounts of animal wastes, as well as depleting our water reserves through excessive irrigation.
🌊 Lake Winnipeg’s water quality and biodiversity have been in peril for decades now. Increased pollution and nutrient loading from its vast watershed (draining much agricultural land), alterations to the lake for hydroelectric power, and invasive species like the famous zebra mussels you might’ve seen on posters, have all contributed to this.
These are just scratching the surface of a much wider issue. We are so very privileged to have clean drinking water, but that does not give us permission to take it for granted and continuously waste it. Here are some tips on how to reduce our water use and water pollution:
Take shorter showers. I know it’s cliche, but showering uses 9-19 litres of water PER MINUTE, so it’s something to keep in mind. You can also reduce your showering frequency when possible (“sponge” or cloth bathing). Also low waste dry shampoo helps. 😘 You can check out my discount on Sweet Pea Naturals dry shampoo here!
If you’re a homeowner, buy a rain barrel for watering your grass or flower beds rather than using a sprinkler/hose. This is something on my list for this year (have been trying to find one secondhand for years with no luck, if you have a clean one you’re getting rid of please let me know).
Switch to phosphate-free soap, shampoo, and laundry detergent. Phosphorus is one of the nutrients that pollutes our waterways and contribute to eutrophication (slimey, green water from excess algae that leads to animals dying). Many eco brands are already phosphate-free, so check your packaging.
Don’t pour down the drain or flush stuff that doesn’t belong: Medications, paint and industrial chemicals… All of these will pollute our waterways. Properly dispose of them instead.
Reduce your laundry frequency. Often our clothes can be worn several times before they won’t pass the “sniff test”. Try to make bigger loads when you can & only use the suggested amount of detergent rather than too much. Washing your clothes less often makes it last longer and also reduces micro-plastic pollution!
If within your means, buy organic produce. Food grown organically does not use as many chemicals and pesticides that contribute to pollution of our waterways. Eliminating mass-produced animal products also helps since these industries create an astronomical amount of animal waste that pollutes the planet and also contributes to the spread of communicable diseases. Another pandemic will come if we don’t change our ways.
Reduce your waste, in general! Water is a very common resource used for almost any product you buy, whether it’s made of plastic or organic materials. Not only food but technology made of mined minerals, clothing made of fibres, you name it. Shop intentionally, shop secondhand, don’t overbuy groceries, and be mindful of all the resources that contribute to a single product in your home.
Remember, water quality & quantity are also crucial for the millions of other species we share the Earth with, so use it wisely.💚
Do you have any tips to add on how to improve your water use? Share them in the comments below!
Happy World Water Day!
-Chanelle