Man on water: Saving a depleting resource

This is the land where Sandford once observed a grizzly stalk a herd of mountain goats; where 350-million-year- old fossils can be easily found on mountain paths; where a remarkable man who cares deeply about his country can look out at a glacier and remember an incident 40 years ago that almost ended his young life.

"I owe this place a lot of gratitude," says Sandford. "It remains a place to which I return regularly to be reminded of my life's purpose."

10 simple ways to save water
1. Shorten your shower time. A 15-minute shower uses more than 300 litres of water. Cut your shower time in half and save up to 300 bathtubs of water a year.

2. Go low-flow. A low-flow showerhead will reduce your water use by at least 25 per cent. A family of four could save more than an average swimming pool full of water a year.

3. Don't flush it all away. On average, Canadians flush their toilet 4.9 times a day. You can install watersaving devices or get an ultra-low-volume toilet. If everyone in Canada installed a low-flush toilet, we'd save about 25,000 Olympic swimming pools of water each year.

4. Use a rain barrel. On average, we water our lawns 1.5 times a week in the summer months. Purchase a rain barrel and get your water for free, leaving more of this precious resource in nature.

5. Let your lawn water itself. Lawn clippings are more than 50 per cent water. Instead of raking them up, leave them on your lawn. You'll use less water and fertilizer as a result.

6. Shut off the hose. When washing your car, you can save as much as 150 gallons of water if you turn off the hose between washing and rinsing. Use a bucket of soapy water and a trigger nozzle instead. You can also use any water collected in your rain barrel, or simply go for longer stretches between car washes.

7. Fix leaky faucets. One drop per second from a leaky tap wastes about 10,000 litres of water a year.

8. Fill the dishwasher first. Running it when it's full will save up to 10,000 litres of water a year. To go even further, choose the short cycle or install a high-efficiency model.

9. Don't let the water run. Wash your fruits and vegetables in a sink half full of water and save up to five litres of water each time. And when boiling vegetables, use just enough water to cover them, and put a tight-fitting lid on the pot.

10. Only wash full loads of laundry. The average family could save 2,000 litres of water a month. For more water-saving tips, visit Go Blue.
– Miriam Osborne

Read more:
• How saving water will save you money
• Saving water: How to conserve water in your kitchen
• Water conservations: Why Canada needs a national strategy

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