Conserving Water in Vancouver

Think of environmental issues and you will probably imagine pollution problems, ecosystem complications and global warming. But all these problems are linked to the most important issue facing our globe: Water Shortage. Sure, it seems like water is everywhere so how could there be a such a need to conserve it?

We don’t exactly have access to the salt-water oceans and seas that make up 97.5% of the world’s water supply for our everyday use. This is because it is not economically feasible to extract freshwater from salt-water. Out of the remaining 2.5% of the globe’s water supply that is freshwater, more than half is in the form of glaciers and permanent snow cover… that doesn’t leave us with much to work with.

Living in rainy Vancouver, we take water for granted. With a little bit more information and willingness, we can move towards progress. The best part is that it’s just a few easy changes! Here are some facts and links to help you make the few small changes that will make a HUGE difference:

– Canada is the largest producer of hydroelectricity, followed by the United States and Brazil.

– Canada has some of the world’s most extensive water resources. But we also consume far more per person than in other countries. Each of us uses about 260 liters of water each day – about 10 times the global average!

– Approximately 1,000 kilograms of water is required to grow 1 kilogram of potatoes.

– Residential indoor water use in Canada:

toilet – 30%;
bathing and showering – 35%;
laundry – 20%;
kitchen and drinking – 10%;
cleaning – 5%
A 5-minute shower with a standard shower head uses 100 litres of water.
A 5-minute shower with a low-flow shower head uses less than 50 litres of water.

Click here for some tips  on how to save water in your home, some of which we touched on in our Green Globe Tips video, and much much more!

Remember, individual actions have a collective impact.

Stay Green!