It’s National Water Week!
Every third week in October, the Australian Water Association works to inspire individuals, communities, and organisations to build awareness around the value of water.
The NWW2021 theme this year is Caring for water and Country, which celebrates the vital and cultural role that water plays in our lives. Recognising the importance of water in our lives, Caring for water and Country aims to deepen our understanding of Australian First Nations people’s knowledge in protecting and sustaining our water and lands for over 65,000 years.
With Australian’s as the greatest consumers of water in the world, using an average of 100,000L of freshwater per person each year, we need to step up and recognise the importance of using water wisely given that we are the driest inhabited continent globally.
It’s not just for our own benefit that we need to be aware of our water consumption but for our native trees, too. We all know the importance that trees play in our lives, but the significance that water holds for trees in being able to assist us as humans is just as crucial.
Trees are made up of 50 percent water and need a steady source of it to grow and stay healthy in order to keep us healthy. They also act like sponges, collecting and filtering water before this passes back through their leaves or roots.
The team have put together some ways in which you can be water-wise by implementing the following changes that will benefit both you and our native trees:
- Shorter showers or a shallow bath
- Don’t leave taps running (when cleaning vegetables, brushing teeth, shaving, applying shampoos)
- Only turn on a full dishwasher
- If washing dishes by hand, rinse all together instead of individually
- Water your garden in the cooler parts of the day to avoid evaporation
- If you can, install a rainwater tank
- Plant native plants in your garden as they tend to require less water
- If you have a pool, use pool covers to stop evaporation and use them as insulators
- Regularly check for leaks
- Reuse a glass/mug and simply refill for your water throughout the day instead of washing in between uses
- Mulch around your plants to trap moisture and reduce evaporation
- Set a timer when you shower; sometimes, you might not realise how long you take!
You can choose to offset your footprint by donating to our native restoration projects. It’s critical we take steps to tread more lightly and restore our planet, so this Water Week, why not make a change for the better?
