From the Nature Conservancy Canada

March 22 was World Water Day, an annual event that emphasizes the importance of conserving fresh water. There is plenty that you can do at home to help conserve water. Here are some simple tips:

Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth and rinse your toothbrush with short water bursts. Doing so conserves around 80 per cent of the water normally used when you brush your teeth.

Turn off your taps tightly to prevent dripping.

Fix leaks in and around your taps, toilets and pipes as soon as possible. Fourteen per cent of indoor water use is lost through leaks.

Install reduced flow shower heads or adjustable flow-reducer devices on existing shower heads. Taking a 10-minute shower using one of these shower heads can conserve nearly 60 litres of water.

Attach a water flow reducer and/or aerator to your tap to decrease water use.

Wash dishes in a sink that’s partially filled with water, and don’t keep the tap running. Then, use the tap’s spray attachment to rinse them.

Water your lawn less frequently.

Ensure your dishwasher is full before starting it, and set it to the shortest cycle.

Install low-flush toilets, as they can decrease water use by 40 to 50 per cent.

When doing laundry, do a full load in your washing machine and set it to the shortest possible cycle.

There is also much that organizations can do to help conserve fresh water and its sources. For example, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), a non-profit land conservation organization, helps maintain water quality by protecting and restoring wetlands, floodplains and stream banks. NCC recently started a project to help maintain and improve river and wetland health in southern Alberta’s Waterton Park Front. Specifically, the organization bought and distributed several off-site, solar-powered cattle watering systems throughout eight Waterton Park Front properties. These systems keep cattle out of sensitive areas along waterways by pumping water to upland areas. To learn more about NCC and its freshwater conservation efforts, visit natureconservancy.ca.

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