Think water

Water is life. March 20th 2008 has been declared world water day.
A day to bring awareness to just how critical clean water and the conservation of it is to life on this planet.
Last year the United Nations water day focus was on water scarcity. This year, it's about sanitation. Although natural disasters have a huge impact, as does climate change, many of the problems are cause by humans. Waste, improper use, pollution ...all our doing and ours to un-do ! Every one of us needs to pitch in and help ( if you aren't part of the solution , you're part of the problem...) and really, there are many little things we can do that really do add up if everyone does it. here's a short list of the most obvious ones and some web sites for more info. Cheers !
United nations water web sites www.unwater.org
www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/

1. install a low-flow faucet aerator, which can cut water use in half.
2. Keep a jug of water in the refrigerator rather than running tap water until it is cool enough to drink.
3. Wash only full loads in the dishwasher.
4. Do NOT use the toilet to dispose of paper, facial tissues, or cigarettes.
5. Replace your old toilet with a new low water toilet.
6. Take a five-minute shower.
7. Use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain and the filling the tub only 1/3 full.
8. Turn the tap water off while brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face.
9. Wash only full loads in the clothes washer.
10. In the summer, lawn watering and other outdoor uses can account for up to 50 percent of home water use. Studies show that as much as half of this outdoor use is wasteful. As a general rule, 2 to 3 cm of water per week is adequate.
11. Using a running hose to wash your car can waste about 400 litres of water. Using a bucket with a sponge plus a trigger nozzle on the hose will save you about 300 of those litres.
12. Rain water is actually better for your plants as it does not contain any chlorine and is at ambient temperature. Keep your rain barrel covered to prevent mosquitos breeding and for safety reasons.