Be water wise

This issue's Bourguignon Beat addresses individual water consumption, with some great tips on how we can cut back on the water we use in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry room. Here are a few other ways we can save water at home:

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• Think twice before pouring water down the drain. Depending on what it was originally used for, water can be reused to water plants or a garden, and even for cleaning. Water from a fish tank, for example, makes a good fertilizer and is great for household plants.
• Install efficient lawn sprinklers and only water your yard when necessary. Keep an eye on the Weather Channel to avoid watering the day before a rainfall.
• Same goes for a driveway or front walk…it's going to rain sooner or later. Until it does, use a broom to sweep them clean rather than spraying it with a hose.
• Go to a car wash that recycles its water. If you wash your car yourself, fill a bucket with water and soap and then turn off the hose. Rinse the car once, using a pressure nozzle to speed things up.
• Fix any leaky faucets in your home immediately. A single faucet dripping at the rate of one drop per second can waste more than 10,000 litres of water per year.