National Water Week 2017
With summer just around the corner, we bet you can’t wait to jump in the pool or have a cold drink to cool down. Although there are many things you can do to survive the scorching heat, there’s one thing none of us could be without – WATER.
15th-21st of October marks this year’s National Water Week, inspiring individuals, communities and organisations to work together to build community awareness and understanding around water related topics and challenges in Australia.
This year’s theme ‘Water – the Heart of our Culture’, aims to encourage young people to explore how water shapes our everyday lives through recreational activities, the natural world and our community values. National Water Week provides a fantastic opportunity to remind ourselves and teach others how important it is to protect our water environments and resources.
Droughts, bushfires, and heatwaves put Australia’s water supply under enormous pressure, so it is more important than ever to make changes to our day-to-day lives and use water wisely to protect this essential resource.
Knowing the importance of sustainable water management, water supply and conservation are core elements of Ecotourism Australia’s ECO certification program and Climate Action certification program. Certified operators must provide evidence of how they address water usage in their business and what measures they implement to ensure they are practising responsible and sustainable water usage.
If you are wondering what you can this summer to save water this summer, here are five easy ways you can play a part in reducing water use and even save money:
- Take a shorter shower. Your morning shower is a great starting point to being more sustainable. Cutting back to less than four minutes per shower can reduce water usage by up to 20 percent.
- Keep a bottle of tap water in the fridge for drinking. This way you don’t need to run the tap in summer until it gets cold enough for drink.
- Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when you have a full load. Matching the water level of your wash with the load to be washed can save you up to 4000 litres a month.
- Fix those leaky taps – even a slowly dripping tap can waste up to 20,000 litres a year – water you pay for but never use.
- If you have an outdoor pool or spa, keep it covered when not in use. Covers help prevent the water from evaporating and keep out leaves as a bonus.
If you are undertaking any initiatives, events or projects during National Water Week, we would love to hear about them! We invite you to share your stories and photos with us via email eco@ecotourism.org.au or our social media channels. For more information about National Water Week click here.
References:
http://www.natureaustralia.org.au/celebrating-australia/water-saving-tips/
https://www.energyaustralia.com.au/blog/better-energy/8-simple-ways-save-water
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