Reduce your water use on World Water Day

(NC)—Clean water and its availability for the future generation is not often a top concern for Canadians. We're more concerned about saving on our hydro bills than taking shorter showers.

But according to the United Nations, two-thirds of the Earth's population will lack adequate water supplies in 2025. It's a fact that should make us sit up and take notice, especially since we literally cannot live without water. Per capita, Canadians are the second-biggest water consumers on the planet, behind Americans. We use approximately 335 litres per day, while 1.1 billion people worldwide must survive on a mere 5 litres.

This year, March 22 is World Water Day, a good moment to start making simple lifestyle changes to conserve the planet's water supply, like these:

• Take a shower instead of a bath, and keep your showers short.

• Turn the faucet off while you brush your teeth, shave, or wash your face.

• Rinse dishes, vegetables, and fruits in a filled basin, rather than under running water.

• Replace an older toilet with a modern low-flush one.

• Install water-saver aerators on your faucets and water-saver heads on your shower.

• Go to a carwash that recycles its water.

• Encourage water conservation at the office.

• Resist buying bottled water. Instead, drink from the tap or bring a stainless steel water bottle to work that you can refill.

• Since water is a global resource, help underprivileged communities conserve their water too. Build a rainwater harvesting tank through an international development organization like Christian Children's Fund of Canada. These tanks harvest, protect, and retain rainwater for daily use in places where drinking water is contaminated with bacteria and disease.

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