No matter where you live in Singapore, whether it's a landed property, condo or HDB flat you need to conserve water. Conserving water is not only for the environment’s sake, but also to save your money. Singapore has built a robust and sustainable water supply from four different sources known as the Four National Taps. Because of this there are more than 5 million people enjoying clean and safe water in Singapore at a turn of a tap. PUB has built up a comprehensive water conservation programme over the years and the long-term efforts have seen Singapore’s per capita domestic water consumption dropped from 165 litres per day in 2003 to the current 152 litres. Singapore's target is to lower it to 147 litres by 2020 and 140 litres by 2030.
According to PUB research, showers and washing in the kitchen sink takes up 29% and 22% of an average family’s monthly water consumption. By shortening the duration of water usage, people can save 9 litres (Six 1.5-litre bottles) of water per minute in the shower and 8 litres (Five 1.5-litre bottles) of water per minute in the kitchen sink. So what can I do to start conserving water. Here is some advice to help you get started.
Bathroom tips:
- If you have a bath and shower in your bathroom , use the shower instead of the bath.
- Take shorter showers.
- Turn off the shower tap while soaping.
- Use a tumbler/ glass when brushing your teeth or turn the water off while brushing your teeth.
- For dual flush flushing cistern, use the half flush for liquid waste.
- Close the tub before turning the water on, adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.
- Replace shower head with a water-efficient model. Try this: if your shower fills a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace it.
Kitchen tips:
- Do not thaw food under running water. Let it defrost overnight inside the refrigerator or use the microwave instead.
- Wash vegetables and dishes in a sink or container filled with water.
- Don't rinse dishes under a running tap, use a container filled with water to rinse.
- If you have a dishwasher, only run it when it is full.
- Reuse the water used to wash fruits and vegetables for house plants.
- Soak pans instead of letting water run while you’re scraping.
- If you have ice left in your cup, don’t throw it to trash. Give it to a plant.
Laundry tips:
- Run the washing machine only on a full load.
- Collect rinse water from the washing machine for flushing the toilet or mopping the floor.
Other areas:
- Monitor your water bill to monitor your family’s water consumption. If your consumption is more than average, re-look your family’s water usage habits.
- Install thimbles or water saving devices at taps with high flow rate.
- Use water efficient labelled fittings.
- Turn off taps tightly to ensure they do not drip.
- Do not leave the tap running when not in use.
- Check for leaks in flushing cisterns, pipes, taps, etc and repair them immediately to prevent water wastage.
- Check for leaks regularly by turning off all taps and checking the water meter. If the water meter counter dial is still running, it means there is a leak. Call a plumber immediately.
- Make sure fountains and ponds are equipped with recirculating pumps.
Outdoor:
- Use a bucket for car washing instead of a running hose.
- Water plants by using a watering can instead of a running hose.
- Water plants in the early morning or late evening (between 4 - 7 am or 6 - 9 pm) to minimise evaporation losses.
- Plant in rainy season when rainfall is plentiful.
- Mulch around plants will help retain moisture and save water.
- Collect rain water from the roof to water your garden.
- Check for soil moisture 5 to 10 cm before you water your garden.
- Use drip irrigation for trees to apply water directly to the roots.
- Group plants with the same watering needs to avoid over watering.
- Avoid water toys and require constant flow of water.
We must save water today so that it will be available to us and our children's children in the future. Future generations will not have a sufficient supply of water unless we become more concerned with how we use our water today. All it takes is a little bit of extra effort, and soon it will be second nature. Save the water, its the one thing that we all need to survive!
Got a leaking tap or want to install more efficient water saving systems?
