MARTA
What is water?
Water is very important in our daily lives. We drink it, bathe in it, use it for leisure, or in other words, depend on it throughout our life, yet we waste it. Yes, we do indeed. The same water goes down the drain in vast amounts, is carelessly polluted and is given no thought about everyday. But what is it really? That's what we're here to tell you.
In its pure form, water is without colour, taste or smell. Like air, it is essential for life although it is 810 times denser than air. Water easily can be found in its liquid form (like tap water), solid form (ice) or as a gas (like the steam from a kettle).
Where is water found?
Water is a mysterious substance and can be found in many weird and wonderful places.
Our bodies are made out of 65% water. 75% of our brain is water and 22% of our bones are water too. It is not just humans who contain water, but the Earth is three-quarters water. Australia has the lowest yearly rainfall, but the highest rate of evaporation.
Water on earth has not increased or decreased since the day on which the Earth was made. Many people make the common mistake in believing that the world's water is unlimited while all the time, only a small portion of our water is fresh and drinkable, and an even smaller portion of that very portion of fresh water is can be reached easily as most of the fresh water is frozen at the poles. With water being limited, we have to accept the fact that water is used over and over again. This also means that if we don't use and clean water properly, our supply of water, which we so heavily rely on will soon join the other amount of water which is undrinkable.
How is water used?
Water is used in many different ways.In Australia about 18% is used by urban and indudtrial users. Commercial users use 14% while households consume almost 50% of all the water used in Australia. Half of that is used in gardens but only 4% of all the water used indoors is consumed. Water is also used for swimming pools, washing, fighting fires, generating electricity, for transport and making practically everything, such as food and furniture. We must understand that there is a limit on how much water there is on this Earth. When dams are low, there are restrictions on how much water can be pumped out.
KINIA
How to Save Water
We can save water in many different ways, but to understand how these ways help save our environment, we must understand that all things can be linked together. For example, by planting trees, we can reduce the amount of soil that enters and pollutes our waterways. You can start saving water by:
Saving water in the house:
* Taking a shower instead of a bath, but using water saving shower heads would be even better. A bath uses an average of 160 litres of water - a five-minute shower uses 60 litres. Shower rather that bath, but if you have to bath, run a smaller bath or share your bath.
Installing half-flush toilets.
Close the tap when cleaning your teeth (this saves up to 20 litres of water), or when shaving (this saves up to 45 litres!).
Ensure your washing machine and dishwasher are fullly loaded before starting them.
* Fixing leaky taps
* Placing an object such as a brick in the toilet or adjust the arm on the toilet.
Wash vegetables in a bowl, not under a running tap. Soaking vegetables makes them easier to peel. A running tap wastes 10 litres (2 gallons) a minute;
* A dripping tap (one drop per second) could waste up to 30 litres of water an hour - which adds up to 10,000 litres a year!)
Do you wash your car with a hosepipe? Consider using two buckets of water to wash your car. This can save you up to 300 litres of water each time.
Saving water in the garden:
Lawns are generally grossly over-watered and use up to four times more water than other plants. Check your irrigation system, does your water run down the street?
Only water your garden before 10:00 or after 16:00.
Consider re-using your bath water and sink water on your garden. Professional grey-water recycling systems are available on the market.
Remember this tip: watering your garden less frequently, but deeper (for longer), actually encourages a deeper root system, which results in stronger plants. This practice can make water wise plants out of most established plants.
These are only some of the endless ways that we can help our environment. Every day, there are many simple, practical things we can do in the house, when you're pottering around outdoors or if you are at work to conserve water, save money and help the environment.