World Water Day: 5 Gestures To Preserve This Resource.

This year, World Water Day has the theme "accelerating change". This theme, chosen by the United Nations, invites each of us to act against the shortage of drinking water. While France has been affected by an unprecedented winter drought, we have listed 5 actions to take to preserve this resource.

"Do not let the water run."

A few years ago, in French households, you could turn on the taps without really thinking about it. Since then, drought and water scarcity have made headlines.

After experiencing a record drought during the summer of 2022, France was unable to make up for its water deficit during the winter of 2023, which turned out to be milder and drier than usual.

Now that we are aware that water can be scarce in our country, the first of 5 gestures to preserve this resource is to not let the faucet run unnecessarily.

This advice applies in all rooms of the house and at different times of the day, including:
• when you take a shower
• when you brush your teeth
• when you wash dishes by hand
• when you rinse vegetables in the sink.

To limit your water consumption, remember to use a glass when brushing your teeth and a soapy water basin when washing dishes by hand.

When rinsing vegetables, simply place a basin in your sink to catch the muddy water that flows out. You can then use the collected water to water your houseplants or garden pots.

2- Install water-saving equipment.

On this March 22, World Water Day with the theme "Accelerating Change," it is not useless to remember that each of us can act in our own way. The second of the 5 actions to preserve this resource consists of installing more water-efficient sanitary equipment at home.

To make significant water savings, you can start by equipping each of your faucets with a flow aerator or reducer. This small device placed at the faucet outlet reduces the flow from 12 to 8 liters per minute and thus saves 30 to 50% of water in the bathroom and kitchen.

You can also equip yourself with an efficient showerhead that can consume up to 50% less water without changing the comfort of use of the showerhead.

The shower stopper placed between the hose and the showerhead is another anti-waste equipment because it allows you to reopen the water to rinse without having to adjust the flow and temperature again.

In toilets too, you can make considerable savings by installing a dual flush toilet. It should be noted that the toilet flush alone represents 20% of the drinking water consumed daily in a household. By installing a more efficient toilet flush, you can save between 30 and 40 m³ of water per year for a family of 4.

3- Use washing machines to full capacity.

In households, other uses that consume water include the use of washing machines and dishwashers.

When making a purchase, inquire with the seller to choose the least water-consuming household appliances. Even if the most economical appliances are more expensive to purchase, this investment is worth it. It will be profitable over time since these more ecological models allow for daily savings.

Another of the 5 gestures to remember to preserve water resources is to always use these washing appliances to their full capacity. Wait until your dishwasher or washing machine drum is completely full before starting a cycle.

4- Retrieve as much water as possible.

As France has just experienced an unprecedented winter drought, it is more important than ever to adopt eco-friendly practices such as rainwater harvesting.

Another of the 5 actions to preserve this resource is to collect all the water you can, taking advantage of rainy days and showers but also of greywater from your kitchen.

In the garden, all you need is a rainwater collector to connect to a gutter. In the kitchen, adopt the good reflex of using a basin to collect the rinsing water from vegetables. This collected water will be useful for watering your plants but also for washing your car.

5- Limit watering and planting in the garden.

The last of the 5 gestures to preserve water resources is to adapt gardening habits. In the current context of drought in France, watering restrictions are expected during next summer. In spring, when you start sowing and planting in your garden, you can anticipate the summer water shortage by limiting the size of your vegetable garden or ornamental garden. Do not plant too many varieties of vegetables or flowers, risking having to sacrifice some of your plants during the hottest days of summer. The amount of water needed to water is proportional to the size of your garden, so don't aim too high!