With the ever-rising profile of the Earth Hour Challenge more people are aware of their electricity use and how easy it is to reduce it.
The wordwide Earth Hour is the perfect introduction to another crucially important aspect of conservation we can all influence.
It's the 2013 Community Water Challenge, running from March 23 to May 26.
With a business based on water, Splashes Bath and Kitchen Centres is a fitting motivator for this kind of project. For the challenge the company is teaming up with the BC Water & Waste Association.
It may not seem easy at first but it's been proven time and again that habits can be changed for the better, and that's exactly what the challenge organizers are confidently expecting. The goals are simple: use less water and take better care of what we've got.
Daisy Foster, CEO of the BC Water & Waste Association (BCWWA), spells it out in a March 21 press release:
“British Columbians use more water per day on average than the rest of Canada. People may think we have an abundance of water here in B.C., but that’s not true for all areas of our province. Climate change, population growth, industrial and agricultural use, and aging infrastructure all put pressure on our water supply and our ability to get clean safe water to our taps and return used water safely to our environment.”
The good news is that each one of us can help the situation, starting today. Limiting shower time to five minutes is a fantastic start, throw in some high-tech hardware like modern low-flow shower heads and toilets and water waste sees a kind of negative snowball effect.
The more of us who accept the challenge, the better off the future will look for all of us. All that's needed is to make five simple pledges:
• I will limit my shower time to five minutes per day;
• I will install a water efficient fixture or appliance in my home;
• I will use less water outdoors by giving my lawn only the amount of water it needs (2.5cm/week, or the height of a tuna can);
• I will turn off the tap when brushing my teeth, scrubbing dishes, shaving or during any other water-wasting activity;
• I will not put harmful substances such as cleaners, paints, pesticides and grease down my drain.
Visit www.drinkingwaterweek.org to officially accept the challenge. Start today and your new habits will be easy to stick with well beyond May 26.