Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Part of Environment Victoria's free resources for running sustainability workshops
Citation preview
Eco‐Wise Action was funded by the Department of Sustainability and Environment
Water Booklet ECO‐WISE ACTION WORKSHOPS
2
1. Background Information ..........................................................................................................................2 2. Tips for reducing your water use in and around the home.....................................................................5 3. You can make a difference.....................................................................................................................10 4. Water commitments..............................................................................................................................13
1. Background Information Australia is the driest continent on Earth, apart from Antarctica. Despite this, we use much water than we need in our houses, in industry and on our farms. Our rivers are under stress and our dams are low. Our average water use is more than 150 litres per person per day. About 40 litres is needed for toilets, bathing, drinking and preparing food. The rest of the water we use can be reduced without much impact on our lives, but with great benefits for our rivers, streams and natural environments. Across the community effective steps are being taken to use less water. But there’s more we can do. Read on and learn more!
The Water Cycle
Water covers two thirds of the Earth's surface. However only three percent of water on Earth is fresh, and most of that is frozen in icebergs and glaciers. Less than one percent of the water is available for use by people, plants and animals. Clean water is essential for life, a very precious resource.
Water is always cycling or moving around, through and above the Earth. It changes from liquid to solid and gas, moving through rivers, soil, plants, animals, clouds, oceans and icecaps. The diagram below illustrates the processes of evaporation (water moving from the soil, rivers and the ocean to the air), transpiration (water moving from plants to the air), condensation (cloud formation) and precipitation (rain, hail and snow).
3
Rain falling on land is important for us. Rain seeps into the soil and some of it becomes groundwater. Groundwater is water that lies beneath the Earth's surface and after a time lag some of it may reach a stream. Once the soil surface is saturated with water, some water flows across the land as surface water which enters streams that flow into rivers and lakes. Most of Victoria’s water supply comes from reservoirs created by building dams on our rivers and creeks.
Climate Change and Water
We do not know exactly how climate change will affect life on Earth but we do know that weather patterns are changing. In our part of Australia, the south east, we are seeing less rain, and higher evaporation due to higher temperatures and more hot days. This has resulted in less surface water flowing into our rivers over the last 15 years. And less water flowing into our reservoirs and storages.
As a result of climate change, Victoria is expected to become warmer and drier as the years pass. We are likely to experience two thirds less snow cover and two thirds less water flowing into our rivers and water storages.
Environment Victoria’s Vision for the Future of Water in Victoria Our vision for the future is for healthy rivers which sustain abundant life and prosperous communities, providing us with good food, clean water and places to love and enjoy. We believe the future of Victoria’s water supply needs to include:
• Using untapped resources such as recycled water. • Increasing rainwater harvesting, for example rain water tanks. • Large‐scale upgrading of the water efficiency of both commercial and residential buildings • Banning logging in our water catchment areas. • Assisting communities to reduce their water needs through changed behaviours, practical skills
and the use of water saving items like low flow showerheads and tap aerators.
This approach reduces the need for large scale, high energy infrastructure. It would enable us to meet our water needs and also provide adequate environmental flows for our rivers.
4
Embodied or Virtual Water
Each year, the average Australian uses about 120,000 litres of water for things like showering, washing, cooking and drinking. But that’s just the start — we use around nine times as much as that indirectly, through the food we eat.
That’s because huge amounts of water go into growing food: in Victoria in 2007‐08, three quarters of the water diverted from rivers and reservoirs was used for irrigation. Producing a kilogram of beef doesn’t just require water to process and package the meat, it also requires water for the cattle to drink and water to grow the grass and grain the cattle eats. When all of this is added together, producing one kilogram of Australian beef can use over 16,000 litres of water. This water is known as embodied water.
Reducing your beef and dairy consumption will save thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of litres of water every year.
Throwing away water
A 2003 survey by the Australian Food and Grocery Council revealed that Australians throw away about 2.2 million tonnes of food a year. This food contains enough embodied water to supply all households in Sydney and Melbourne with water for a year! Plan the amount of food you buy and use leftovers to reduce the amount that spoils and you throw out.
Water use in your home
We use most of the water in the home in the garden, bathroom and laundry. This means that these are also the areas where the most water can be saved.
(This graph is based on a new four person home with a garden.)
19% Garden
51%Bathroom
22% Laundry
8% Kitchen
5
2. Tips for reducing your water use in and around the home
Bathroom
Households use about 51 percent of all their water in the bathroom. The shower is a water hotspot! Install a three star (or better) rated showerhead. They use no more than nine litres per minute, while old style showerheads use approximately 15 litres per minute. If you shower for four minutes instead of eight minutes and switch to a water efficient showerhead, you can save over 30,000 litres of water per person per year!
• Take shorter showers. Use a shower timer to limit yourself to four minute showers. Shorter showers save water and the cost of energy used to heat water.
• Collect water while waiting for the shower to heat up in a bucket and use it to flush the toilet or water your garden. But watch your back! Alternatively, if you can access the pipe from the shower or bath, put a grey water diverter in it and attach a hose.
• Install a dual flush toilet or put a bottle of water or a small brick in your cistern to reduce the volume of water used with each flush of an older style toilet. You can also get small gadgets which stop the toilet flushing as soon as you lift your finger, so you can control the amount of water in the flush.
• Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth or shaving. (A tap releases about 16 litres of water per minute.)
Laundry
• Save water with a water efficient washing machine. If you need a new washing machine,
buy one with four or more star rating for water. • Check the water efficiency performance of any product before buying. • If you are washing a small load, select the low water level option. • Wash with a full load and you'll save 10 litres of water each wash. • Use the sud‐saver option, if available, when you have several loads to wash.
And remember, use a cold wash to save energy too, by reducing hot water use.
Gardens Australian gardens often contain plants which aren’t well suited to our environment. We also tend to over water our plants. There are easy ways to reduce the use of drinking water on our gardens.
6
A water efficient garden can be bright and colourful, dramatic or restful. Here are some tips to achieving a healthy, waterwise garden:
• Choose local native plants that are suited to the local climate and conditions and will provide homes and food for native wildlife.
• Position your plants to avoid too much or too little sun. • Mulch can reduce evaporation from soil by up to 70 percent,
which means you don’t need to water as often. • Collect rainwater in tanks or containers and use it on your
garden to avoid wasting drinking water. • Pot plants use a lot more water than plants in the ground. • Don’t over‐water your plants. • Plant plants with the same water requirements together in
the same area of your garden. • Water in the morning or early evening so you don’t lose water
through evaporation. Try to water directly on the roots where the plants need it most.
• Add compost to your soil to stop it from drying out and repelling water. • Use greywater for the garden (see the end of this section for further details on greywater).
Washing Cars
• Check your water restriction specifications first! • Use a waterless car wash. • Use captured ‘warm‐up’ water from inside the home or treated greywater to wash vehicles. • Try washing your car on the lawn, it will get your car clean and water the garden at the
same time. • Use a commercial car wash that recycles its wash water.
Kitchen
• Older dishwashers use a lot of water.
Newer ones can use less water than hand washing, but it’s still more sustainable to hand wash than to buy a new dishwasher, because of all the resources which go into making and running a dishwasher. If you do use a dishwasher, only wash with a full load.
• Catch water whilst you wait for it to warm up. Use it to water plants, rinse dishes, or wash fruit and vegetables.
• Use flow restrictors (flat discs that can be inserted into the tap, pictured below) or
7
tap aerators (nozzles which screw onto the end of the tap) for your taps. They are inexpensive and can cut tap water use by half, while still feeling like plenty of water.
• Wash your vegetables in a small basin, not under running water and use this water on your garden.
Water star ratings
Australian has a water efficiency labelling system which allows you to compare the water efficiency of washing machines, dishwashers, taps and showerheads. You will find labels on these products which show:
• A star rating that compares similar appliances (similar size and type) out of six stars. Appliances with more stars are more water efficient. Aim for four or more.
• A number that estimates of the water consumption (for each use or over a year) or water flow (in litres a minute).
Look at the number as well as the stars since the star rating only compares similar appliances. A large washing machine can get a good star rating compared to other large washing machines but is likely to use more water for each load compared to a small washing machine. The consumption number will show this. For more information call on 1800 803 772 or visit www.waterrating.gov.au.
Around the home and garden ‐ fix all leaks!
A slowly leaking tap can waste 20,000L a year. Fix it now! To detect a leak, turn off all your taps. Check your water meter and write down the reading. Wait three hours and check the water meter reading again. If no water has been used, the reading should be the same. If the meter has moved, you have a leak that needs to be found and fixed. Toilet leaks can be checked by adding some food colouring to your cistern. If this colouring shows up in your toilet bowl without flushing, then you have a leak.
The most common places for a leak include: toilet, under sinks, taps, washing machines, garden fittings, and outside. Changing the washers usually fixes dripping taps. This is easy to do yourself – for a fact sheet on how see www.environmentvictoria.org.au. If this does not solve the problem, contact a plumber.
8
Grey water
Grey water is water which can be reused on the garden, for example from baths, showers, hand basins and washing machines. It does not include water from the toilet, which is known as ‘black water’. Water from kitchen sinks and dishwashers contains food wastes, bacteria, oils and fats, and detergents mean that it is not suitable for using on gardens without treatment. Using grey water is a good solution for keeping gardens healthy during periods of dry weather. Grey water replaces the need to use drinking water for watering gardens or lawns and can potentially save thousands of litres of water a year. Benefits of using grey water:
• Decreases the amount of mains or rainwater you use • Reduces the amount of waste water discharged into the
oceans or rivers. • Can keep the garden happy during water restrictions.
Use garden‐friendly laundry detergents, shampoos and soaps that are low in salt and phosphate. Salt can irreversibly damage your soil. Never:
• Use untreated grey water on vegetables which are going to be eaten raw • Use waste water from the kitchen (including from dishwashers) – the bacteria in it can be a
health risk • Let children or pets near untreated grey water • Use grey water which could have faecal contaminations – do not use grey water from washing
nappies. It is a health risk and illegal to:
• Store grey water for more than 24 hours, or to store it in rainwater tanks • Allow grey water to seep out of your property, for example into neighbouring properties or
drains.
Using grey water is affordable, with a simple diverter costing under $10. Speak to your local council or water retailer for more information on grey water systems, regulations, permits, costs and rebates.
Rainwater Collection
Rainwater tanks are being used by more and more people. Benefits of installing a rainwater tank:
• You can capture large amounts of water when it rains, which can be stored and used in the garden or in the home.
• They are a relatively simple system which is easy to use.
9
• In rural areas, it is possible to use rainwater for all domestic uses, and not depend on a mains supply.
• Government rebates may reduce the cost of purchasing and installing a rainwater tank. • Rain barrels, like the one pictured, are a good option for renters and people on a budget.
Use tanks that meet Australian standards and have them installed by certified Green Plumbers, and maintain them to prevent your water from getting contaminated. Use mesh to keep leaves and mosquitoes out of your collection containers. Tanks save the most water when used for flushing the toilet and in the washing machine, instead of just being used in the garden.
Water Quality
Besides saving water, we should be also looking after our natural water ways. Anything you allow to stay on the ground will end up in the stormwater drains, rivers and water ways and then eventually in the sea.
• Avoid littering and throwing away chemicals, oils and animal waste. Recycling Near You can tell you where to dispose of them (www.recyclingnearyou.com.au, 1300 733 712)
• Compost your grass clippings. It’s good for the garden, and they won’t end up in the drain. Try to purchase garden and household products that are non‐toxic.
10
3. You can make a difference... To help make a difference to the planet, have a look at your water use. Use this checklist to find out where you are doing well and where you could do better. Not all actions are appropriate for everyone, but this checklist should give you some ideas of what to work on. Then make some commitments to what you will definitely change in the near future, using the list that follows. Bathroom Easy actions Are your showers longer than four minutes?
Yes
Use a shower timer to reduce shower length to four minutes or less per day.
Do you collect shower water for use on the garden?
Yes
Collect shower water in a bucket, if you can do this without damaging your back. Install a grey water diverter from the shower/bath
water drain pipe and a grey water hose. Use garden‐friendly soaps and shampoos.
Slightly harder actions Have you changed your showerhead to a low flow, water saving one?
No
Change to a low flow shower head (available free from the local water authority if you bring in your old showerhead).
Do you have a dual flush toilet? No
Add a bottle of water, brick or flush reducing gadget to the existing cistern, to reduce water used to flush Change the cistern to a dual flush cistern. If you are
in Melbourne, a subsidy is available from your water company to do this.
Doing Laundry Easy actions Do you use economic wash options (cold water, short cycle)?
No
Wash laundry in cold water and short cycle (economic wash option) when appropriate.
Slightly harder actions Can the laundry water be used in the garden?
Yes
Install a grey water diverter system to the laundry water drain pipe or use a grey water hose (but don’t make it too long, or your machine will struggle). Purchase and use garden friendly, low salt, low
phosphate detergent. Is the current washing machine is inefficient and expensive to run?
Yes
If a new washing machine is really needed: Choose the smallest front loading washing machine
that will meet your needs. Check for the highest energy and water star rating.
11
Collecting rainwater Slightly harder actions Is installing rainwater tanks an option?
Yes
Install: Water tank(s), connected to the laundry and/or
toilet if possible. Rebates are available. If proper tanks aren’t an option, consider more
temporary options, like rain barrels. Taps Slightly harder actions Are there any obvious water leaks in and around the home?
Yes
Fix water leaks in the following locations: Toilet Under the sink in ________________ The taps in _____________________ Washing machine Outside located at ________________
Are the kitchen and bathroom sink taps fitted with flow restrictors or aerators to reduce water use?
No
Install tap flow restrictors or tap aerators.
Kitchen Up
Easy actions Is a dishwasher used at the house?
Yes
Hand washing in a small amount of water uses less energy than dishwashers, and less water than older dishwashers. If a dishwasher is used: Only run when full Always use the economy cycle (air dry the dishes)
Do you eat meat and dairy products regularly?
Yes
Reduce the meat or diary you eat by one serve per week – try Meat‐free Mondays! Find vegetarian recipes on the internet or in
libraries. Slightly harder actions Is the dishwasher inefficient and expensive to run?
Yes
If a new dishwasher is really needed … Buy the smallest dishwasher that suits your needs
Check for the highest energy and water star rating.
12
Water Use in Garden Easy actions Is mains water used to water the garden?
Yes
Use warm up water from shower to water the garden. Use grey water from laundry and/or bathroom. Use rainwater from tanks or containers.
Actions which require a bit more effort Are your garden beds mulched?
No
Mulch beds. Mulch helps prevent evaporation of water from soil and can significantly reduce the amount of water your garden needs. A rebate is available for buying mulch.
Do you grow some of your own herbs, fruit or veggies?
No
Grow some of your own food. Grow herbs on your window sill if you don’t have a garden.
Do you grow plants that require a lot of water?
Yes
Replace thirsty plants with local natives or food plants. Put plants that require a lot of water together in
one part of the garden to reduce water used in other areas.
13
4. Water commitments The best way of following through with good intentions is committing to change. Choose the actions you would like to take, and tick the boxes on the right to remind yourself that you’re serious.
If you are already taking most of these actions, you may wish to pledge to encourage someone else to take action in the row at the bottom. Then stick this page on your fridge. I’m doing my bit Things I plan to do to look after the planet I pledge to
do this I do this already
Not applicable
Reduce my shower length to four minutes This will save up to 26,000 litres of water every year
Install a water efficient showerhead which uses only nine litres of water per minute This will save up to 35,000 litres of water every year
Wait until I have a full load before using the washing machine This will save 2,080 litres of water every year
Place a bucket under my shower and taps to capture water that is wasted while it heats up or cools down This will save 6,500 litres of water every year
Use a water efficient dishwasher and only use it when it’s full, or better still, I will hand wash my dishes This will save up to 6,500 litres of water every year
Get a dual flush toilet or insert a dam, brick or full bottle of water into my cistern This will save up to 22,750 litres of water every year
Turn off the taps when I am brushing my teeth This will save 11,300 litres of water every year
Fix all leaks in and around my home This will save 10,920 litres of water every year
Use grey water on my garden This will save up to 25,500 litres of water every year
Install and rainwater tank For a 5,000 litre tank, this will save 52,000 litres of water every year
Encourage my friends and family to: (name actions)
………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………. Imagine how much you could save together!
14
Environment Victoria mobilises people to safeguard our environment. As the state’s peak non‐profit environment group, we believe our future depends on all Victorians. That’s why we’re asking all 5 million of us to be part of looking after our environment. With your help, we can persuade every Victorian to get involved. It won't be easy. But 5 million people can get our representatives hopping. Get businesses bending over backwards to become truly green. Get the whole country to pay attention. Maybe even the world. So what do you say? Are you in? Visit www.environmentvictoria.org.au today or ring 9341 8100.
Disclaimer Environment Victoria provides this workshop booklet as a guide. However, it cannot take responsibility or liability for any loss, damage or injury incurred as a result of the use of any of the information within this workshop package. We recommend that you obtain appropriate professional advice and assistance where necessary.
Licensing Arrangements This information pack is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia license. A copy of this license is available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‐nc/2.5/au/ or by writing to
[email protected]. You are free to copy, communicate and adapt the work, so long as you attribute Environment Victoria and the use is for non commercial purposes. This has been specifically chosen to enable you to modify and use the material to suit your individual requirements. Please note there are some instances where some of the material is not issued under the Creative Commons License. All logos are protected by copyright. The photos in this booklet are all by Environment Victoria and under the Creative Common Attribution 2.5 Australia license, except the photo of cows and the photo of a litter trap on a river, which are both in the public domain. The water cycle diagram is also in the public domain, and the water label image is part of the Australian government’s water labelling initiative.
