Cut down your shower time!

In 2004 Environment Canada estimated that the average Canadian domestic water use per capita was approximately 329 litres of water a day. Most people would never think they would use so much water everyday! Most municipalities charge a flat rate per household for water meaning everyone pays the same no matter how much water they've used. Households that are not linked to a municipal water supply have their own wells to draw from and therefore do not have to pay this fee. In both situations there is really no financial incentive to reduce water consumption.

What about the environmental cost?

Our fresh water resources seem like an inexhaustible supply considering we here in Canada have access to 7% of the world's entire renewable fresh water supply. However, as our population expands and water demand increases, we are starting to see the effects of the stresses we are putting on our fresh water systems. On PEI we rely solely on groundwater for our source of freshwater. As a province whose major industry is agriculture we must be careful not to contaminate this supply with pesticides and fertilizers, or draw too much for field irrigation. When we combine the increased water usage by a growing industrial sector and growing population we put a great strain on these groundwater sources. For example, in the summer of 2012 the Winter River watershed that feeds the groundwater supply for PEI's capitol city almost ran dry with over-consumption of water Click here for the full story. With a changing climate that could bring much drier conditions we must learn to change our habits concerning water usage. 

What can we do?

There are many ways in which we can reduce our water consumption at home on a daily basis. Showering is one of the activities that uses up the largest amount of fresh water in our daily activities. Environment Canada estimates that 35% of water usage in Canadian households is used for showers and baths Environment Canada - Wise Water Use. Did you know that shortening your shower by even a minute or two can save over 500 litres of water a month? 


Challenge:
We challenge you to reduce your shower time to under five minutes and to take only one shower per day (depending on whether you're planning to go to the gym or not) for 1 month.

If you have other ideas about ways to reduce your water consumption, don't be afraid to incorporate those into the challenge too and be sure to share your thoughts on how you keep your water consumption low at https: UPEI Student Sustainability Challenges 


Additional Information:
You can find more information about water conservation here:

https://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=F25C70EC-1

http://www.canadianliving.com/life/green_living/water_saving_ideas_for_every_household.php

http://www.water-matters.org/topic/water-conservation/household-tips

 To accept the challenge click here