Canada is the second highest user of water (per capita) in the world.  We think that there is an abundant supply of fresh water around us and we take it for granted.  We use double the amount of water per person than France, almost four times the amount of a Swede and eight times the amount of a Dane.

• 97% of the earth’s water is undrinkable salt water.
• 2% is fresh water trapped in icecaps and glaciers.
• More water exists too deep in the earth to extract it.
• 0.003% is what’s left for use (lakes, dams, reservoirs, etc.).

Here in Canada, we may have safe and easily accessible supplies of water, but in other countries it is an expensive and precious resource.  In Colombia, pirates steal water by drilling holes into water mains.  In parts of Sudan, almost half of the average household income is spent on water.  Unicef estimates that $11.3 billion is required to provide basic levels of service for drinking and waste water in Africa and Asia. Amount spent on bottled water in the developed world: $35 billion*.

What you can do:

• Reduce - Change your water habits.  Don’t leave the tap running when brushing your teeth, wash full loads of laundry and keep your garden watering to a minimum.
• Repair - A small drip can waste 75 litres of water a day.  Fix those leaky taps or faulty plumbing fixtures.
• Retrofit - Shop for more efficient fixtures, such as dual-flush toilets.
• Re-use - Put a rain barrel on your downspouts and use this water for irrigation.   Water that has been used at least once but is still clean enough for other jobs is called greywater.  It can be recycled with practical plumbing systems or with simple practices such as emptying the fish tank in the garden instead of the sink.
• Refrain - Most bottled water doesn’t come from an “Artesian spring”.  It is also less regulated than tap water (Coca-Cola adds salt to its Dasani water to make it taste better).  Bottled water also incurs a huge carbon footprint from its production and transportation.
• Remember - Water is also used to provide us with energy.  It takes between 3,000 gallons and 6,000 gallons of water to power a 60-watt incandescent bulb for 12 hours a day over the course of a year. Turning off those electronic devices and lights will not only save on your electricity bill, but also on how much water is used to provide you with that electricity.

  * Source: David Suzuki Foundation.