HAVE YOU SAVED SOME WATER TODAY?

From the moment we open our eyes in the morning, until we go to sleep at night, we use
water for various purposes, from brushing our teeth, to bathing, cooking and washing clothes.

I
seeps into the
n South Africa, different communi- HOW MUCH WATER DO
toilet you have
ties receive their potable water in WE USE IN OUR HOMES?
a leak. A leaky
different ways. Some people, such
toilet can
as those living in cities and towns, Consider how much water you use at
waste up to
have taps in their houses, while home. Taking a bath uses an average
30 litres an
others have to 80 litres of water, while a shower uses
hour.
fetch water from about 30 litres of water. Flushing the
 Use a
a tap in their yard toilet alone uses about nine litres of
broom
or from a public water, as does washing your face or
instead of
standpipe. An hands. Another ten litres is used for
a hose to
estimated 6 brushing teeth. Drinking and cooking
clean your
million people uses up about ten litres of water a day.
driveway
in South Africa We use even more water outside our
and sidewalk.
(2004 figures) homes. Did you know that watering the
 To save water and time consider
do not have garden with a sprinkler can use up 600
washing your face or brushing your
access to litres of water every hour?
teeth while in the shower.
clean water.
 Bathe your pets outdoors in areas
This means
that need water.
that these communities have
 Don’t use running
to collect their water from ‘unsafe’
water to
sources, such as rivers and streams.
thaw food.
 If you have
Today, as the
a washing
world becomes
machine,
increasingly ur-
match the
banised, people
water level to the size of the load
use more water
when doing laundry.
in their homes Those of us fortunate enough to have
 Soak your pots and pans instead
than ever be- water supplied to our houses, who
of letting the water run while you
fore. According have baths, showers and hosepipes,
scrape them clean.
to Johannes- and maybe even swimming pools,
 When you give your pet fresh water
burg Water, need to examine carefully how we use
don’t throw the old water down
during the water at home. South Africa is a water-
the drain. Use it to water trees or
mid-nineteenth scarce country and we need to save
shrubs.
century, people as much water as we can.
 Cook food in as little water as pos-
would have managed with about 18
sible. This will also retain more of
litres per person per day. By the 1940s WHAT CAN WE DO TO
the nutrients.
this had increased to about 70 litres SAVE WATER?
 Turn off the water while you sham-
per person per day. By the end of the
poo and condition your hair and
twentieth century this had increased  Time your shower to keep it under
you can save more than 190 litres
further to about 160 litres. five minutes. You’ll save up to
a week.
4 000 litres a month.
 Bathe young children together.
 By putting a two-litre plastic bottle
full of water in the cistern of your
toilet you can save up to 7 300
litres of water a year.
 Fix those leaky taps. A leaking tap
could waste up to 30 litres an hour.
 Turn off the water while you brush
your teeth and save up to 15 litres
a minute.
 If you have a flush toilet, put food
colouring in your toilet tank. If it