- 1994 was the year that federally mandated low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets started to
appear on the scene in significant numbers.
- On average, 10 gallons per day of your water footprint (or 14% of your indoor use) is lost to leaks.
- On average, 10 gallons per day of your water footprint (or 14% of your indoor use) is lost to leaks.
- Short of installing new water-efficient fixtures, one of the easiest, most effective ways to cut your
footprint is by repairing leaky faucets and toilets.
- If you use a low-flow showerhead, you can save 15 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower.
- Every time you shave minutes off your use of hot water, you also save energy and keep dollars in
- If you use a low-flow showerhead, you can save 15 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower.
- Every time you shave minutes off your use of hot water, you also save energy and keep dollars in
your pocket.
- It takes about 70 gallons of water to fill a bathtub, so showers are generally the more water-efficient
- It takes about 70 gallons of water to fill a bathtub, so showers are generally the more water-efficient
way to bathe.
- All of those flushes can add up to nearly 20 gallons a day down the toilet. If you still have a
- All of those flushes can add up to nearly 20 gallons a day down the toilet. If you still have a
standard toilet, which uses close to 3.5 gallons a flush, you can save by retrofitting or filling your
tank with something that will displace some of that water, such as a brick.
- Most front-loading machines are energy- and water-efficient, using just over 20 gallons a load,
- Most front-loading machines are energy- and water-efficient, using just over 20 gallons a load,
while most top-loading machines, unless they are energy-efficient, use 40 gallons per load.
- Nearly 22% of indoor home water use comes from doing laundry. Save water by making sure to
- Nearly 22% of indoor home water use comes from doing laundry. Save water by making sure to
adjust the settings on your machine to the proper load size.
- Dishwashing is a relatively small part of your water footprint—less than 2% of indoor use—but
- Dishwashing is a relatively small part of your water footprint—less than 2% of indoor use—but
there are always ways to conserve. Using a machine is actually more water efficient than hand
washing, especially if you run full loads.
- Energy Star dishwashers use about 4 gallons of water per load, and even standard machines use only
- Energy Star dishwashers use about 4 gallons of water per load, and even standard machines use only
about 6 gallons. Hand washing generally uses about 20 gallons of water each time.
Water use
We supply about 140 million litres (ML) of water per day (on average) for Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Porirua and Wellington.
Our supply serves a resident population of almost 400,000, so on average we provide about 350 litres per resident each day, or 3-4 bathtubs each. Not all of this water is used in homes. City council estimates show that households use a bit over 60% of our total supply. Other users include industry, businesses, schools, hospitals, the fire service and councils.
Seasonal variation
Water use averages a little over 140 million litres daily. During periods of dry weather in summer, daily demand has peaked at almost 200 million litres, or 45% more than the average daily demand during winter.
Annual trend
Total demand for water from the four cities has decreased in recent years, from about 56,000 ML a year (2007/08) to about 50,000 ML (2012/13), or a bit less than 1,000 ML per week on average. If Wellington's Westpac Stadium were a reservoir, this weekly volume would fill it.
This lower demand is likely due to a number of factors including reduced leakage, improving efficiency of appliances and fittings (washing machines, toilets, taps and showerheads), publicity, changing housing and development types, and water-saving behaviour.
Considering that less than 1 percent of all the water on the planet is usable freshwater, we’re not nearly as careful as we should be with this precious resource. Here are some amazing facts to put things in perspective:
- Set in the desert of Dubai, the Tiger Woods Golf Course uses 4 million gallons of water every day to
maintain its lush appearance.
- Since 1950, water usage in the United States has risen 127 percent.
- Even though each person only requires 48 liters of water on a daily basis, individuals in the United
States use an average of 500 liters, those in Canada an average of 300 liters and those in England an
average of 200 liters.
- Of all the water that enters each household, about 95% of it ends up down the drain.
- With access to just 5 liters of water each day, more than a billion people in water poor regions
- Of all the water that enters each household, about 95% of it ends up down the drain.
- With access to just 5 liters of water each day, more than a billion people in water poor regions
around the globe survive on the same amount used to flush a toilet or take a 5-minute shower.
- If you shorten your showers by just a single minute, you can save approximately 700 gallons of
- If you shorten your showers by just a single minute, you can save approximately 700 gallons of
water in a month.
- Letting the tap run when you brush your teeth wastes up to 4 gallons of water every time.
- It takes an average of 300 gallons to water your lawn. During the summer, this can account for
- Letting the tap run when you brush your teeth wastes up to 4 gallons of water every time.
- It takes an average of 300 gallons to water your lawn. During the summer, this can account for
almost half of your water usage.
- Every time you throw your clothes in the washer, you use about 50 gallons of water.
- Another wasteful desert endeavor, the proposed Waveyards water park in Mesa, Arizona will
- Every time you throw your clothes in the washer, you use about 50 gallons of water.
- Another wasteful desert endeavor, the proposed Waveyards water park in Mesa, Arizona will
require up to 100 million gallons of groundwater every year in an area that receives a mere 8 inches
of rainfall in that time.
Showering uses 17% of household water
- When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load.
- Washing dark clothes in cold water saves water and energy, and helps your clothes retain their color.
- When shopping for a new washing machine, compare resource savings among Energy Star models.
Some can save up to 20 gallons of water per load.
- Have a plumber re-route your greywater to trees and plants rather than the sewer line. Check with
- Have a plumber re-route your greywater to trees and plants rather than the sewer line. Check with
your city and county for codes.
BATHROOM- Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save up to 150 gallons per month.
- Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak. Fix it
and start saving gallons.
- When running a bath, plug the bathtub before turning on the water. Adjust the temperature as the
- When running a bath, plug the bathtub before turning on the water. Adjust the temperature as the
tub fills.
- Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save up to 4 gallons a minute. That’s up to 200
- Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save up to 4 gallons a minute. That’s up to 200
gallons a week for a family of four.
- Plug the sink instead of running the water to rinse your razor and save up to 300 gallons a month.
- Turn off the water while washing your hair and save up to 150 gallons a month.
- When washing your hands, turn the water off while you lather.
- Take 5-minute showers instead of baths. A full bathtub requires up to 70 gallons of water.
- One drip every second adds up to five gallons per day! Check your faucets and showerheads for
- Plug the sink instead of running the water to rinse your razor and save up to 300 gallons a month.
- Turn off the water while washing your hair and save up to 150 gallons a month.
- When washing your hands, turn the water off while you lather.
- Take 5-minute showers instead of baths. A full bathtub requires up to 70 gallons of water.
- One drip every second adds up to five gallons per day! Check your faucets and showerheads for
leaks.
Water covers 70% of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful. However, freshwater—the stuff we drink, bathe in, irrigate our farm fields with—is incredibly rare. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.
As a result, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Inadequate sanitation is also a problem for 2.4 billion people—they are exposed to diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, and other water-borne illnesses. Two million people, mostly children, die each year from diarrheal diseases alone.
Many of the water systems that keep ecosystems thriving and feed a growing human population have become stressed. Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use. More than half the world’s wetlands have disappeared. Agriculture consumes more water than any other source and wastes much of that through inefficiencies. Climate change is altering patterns of weather and water around the world, causing shortages and droughts in some areas and floods in others.
At the current consumption rate, this situation will only get worse. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. And ecosystems around the world will suffer even more.
http://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/?view=list
With one-third of the world's population living in countries which are experiencing water shortages, it is unforgivable that so little is done to preserve and ensure proper management of this invaluable and life giving resource.
Water covers 70% of our planet, and it is easy to think that it will always be plentiful. However, freshwater—the stuff we drink, bathe in, irrigate our farm fields with—is incredibly rare. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use.
As a result, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Inadequate sanitation is also a problem for 2.4 billion people—they are exposed to diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, and other water-borne illnesses. Two million people, mostly children, die each year from diarrheal diseases alone.
Many of the water systems that keep ecosystems thriving and feed a growing human population have become stressed. Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use. More than half the world’s wetlands have disappeared. Agriculture consumes more water than any other source and wastes much of that through inefficiencies. Climate change is altering patterns of weather and water around the world, causing shortages and droughts in some areas and floods in others.
At the current consumption rate, this situation will only get worse. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. And ecosystems around the world will suffer even more.
https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity
1 gallon = 3.785 litres
0.264 of a gallon = 1 litre
1 gallon = 3.785 litres
0.264 of a gallon = 1 litre
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