SAVE WATER SAVE MONEY AND HELP PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT ENGLISH

Transcription

1 SAVE WATER SAVE MONEY AND HELP PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT ENGLISH 1

2 USE WATER WISELY FOR A HAPPIER WALLET AND ENVIRONMENT When we turn on the tap, do the laundry or take a shower, we rarely give much thought to how much water we are using or how much it is costing us. The same goes for water wastage, running toilets and leaky taps, which quickly add up to a lot of water that just goes down the drain. Each person in Denmark uses around 40 m3 of water a year, corresponding to 4 water tankers. Our drinking water is produced from groundwater, which is threatened by pollution in many places. Clean drinking water from an underground source is a limited resource which is part of the natural cycle, and we should use it wisely. How can you avoid water wastage and save water... and money? A toilet that runs so you can barely see it, can waste up to 100 m3 of water a year. This corresponds to 10 water tankers and costs approximately DKK 6,000. A standard showerhead uses around 12 litres of water a minute and a waterefficient showerhead uses approximately 8 litres of water a minute. 2

3 IN THE BATHROOM Keep an eye on whether the toilet is running: A toilet that runs so it is barely visible can waste around 100 m3 a year and costs approximately DKK 6,000. If necessary, replace an old toilet with a newer, water-efficient model Make sure that your taps do not drip. A dripping tap can waste 15 litres of water a day, which is equivalent to DKK 300 a year Fit your taps and shower with tap aerators (perlators) and save water Use a water-efficient showerhead and save around 4 litres of water for every minute you shower Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth When washing your hands, turn off the tap while applying the soap and then turn it on again to rinse the soap off Drink water from a glass and not straight from the tap this way, you re not wasting water Turn off the water in the shower while you soap up and wash your hair Do not take longer showers than you need. You save 8 12 litres of water for every minute you shorten your shower Do not use the toilet as a rubbish bin. Discard cotton buds, tissues and the like in a rubbish bin rather than in the toilet. In doing so, you will save around 2 12 litres per flush 3

4 IN THE KITCHEN Fix leaky taps Choose water-efficient taps Fit your taps with perlators to reduce the volume of water that passes through them Fill up the dishwasher before starting it. It is not necessary to rinse the dishes beforehand it is enough just to scrape off any leftovers Wash your vegetables in a bowl instead of under running water Keep a jug of water in the fridge so that you do not have to let the tap run for a glass of cold water Cook vegetables in as little water as possible saving both water and energy If you rinse under running water for 5 minutes, you use around 60 litres of water. If you do this every day, it adds up to an annual water consumption of around 22 m3. This corresponds to around 2 water tankers. 4

5 30 Fill up the washing machine WHEN YOU DO THE LAUNDRY If necessary, replace an old washing machine with a new one that is more energy and water efficient Fill the washing machine before washing. This saves time, limits the wear on the machineand reduces water and energy consumption Skip the pre-wash this is seldom necessary Wash at the lowest possible temperature and save energy Do not wash clothes until they are actually dirty 5

6 USE OF WATER OUTDOORS Collect rainwater in a rain barrel or a bucket then you can use it to water the plants or wash the car Use a watering can when you water your flowerbeds and pots. When you water with a garden hose, you use 12 litres of water a minute, a lot of which is often wasted rather than used for watering the plants Avoid watering your plants around midday, as most of the water evaporates between 10 am and 3 pm Fill a small paddling pool for the kids with water without chemicals. Afterwards, you can use the water to water your plants Take your family on trips to the lake, beach or swimming baths instead of filling a pool with water TIP: Leave a bucket outside to fill up with rainwater. Save the water for days without much rain 6

7 A dripping tap 6,000 litres of water wasted DKK 250 a year REPLACEMENT OF TOILETS, MACHINES, TAPS, ETC. If you live in a property where you can replace machines or installations yourself, you can save a lot of water and a lot of money by: Replacing your toilet with a water-efficient model with a large flush and a small flush of 4 and 2 litres respectively. Obtaining a water-efficient showerhead and saving around 4 litres of water a minute. A standard showerhead uses approximately 12 litres of water a minute, whereas a water-efficient showerhead uses around 8 litres of water a minute. Replacing washing machines and dishwashers with new, energy and water-efficient models. Fitting your taps with perlators (tap aerators) or changing them to a more water-efficient model 7

8 HOFOR A/S Ørestads Boulevard København S Telefon hofor.dk For more useful advice on how to save water and prevent water wastage, visit 8