Did you know you can live without food for a month, but only survive a week without water? Fresh water is vital to all life on earth -human, animal or plant. And because there is no substitute for it, we must use water wisely.      You may ask, "Isn't there plenty of water around us?" You're right, there is. Most of the earth's surface is covered by water. But 97% of it is saltwater. The remaining 3% is fresh water but 2% is in the form of solid ice. This means there is only 1% of fresh water supply that is available for the daily needs of millions and millions of people around the world including yourself and your family.

Here's a short quiz to test how much you know about using water

1. When you flush a toilet how      much water is used?      6-9 litres      10-13 litres      14-17 litres
		2. How much water do you      use to brush your teeth?      5 litres      7 litres      9 litres
3. How much water is used on      average to hand wash dishes?      36-68 litres per day      21-39 litres per day      50-76 litres per day
		4. What household activity      uses the most water?      washing clothes      shower      bath

Did you know? 1 litre of water; is equivalent to 2 small bottles of mineral water

ANSWERS :

1 : 10-13 litres is used when you flush the toilet.

2 : About 9 litres of water is use if you leave the tap running while you brush your teeth.

3 : An average of 36-68 lit res of water is used to hand wash dishes.

4 : An average of 150 litres is used when you bathe in a tub. Here's what it takes for the
      rest: 95 litres for an automatic washing machine & 50-60 litres for a shower.

Water wise tips :

• Place a brick in your toilet tank. It will save you two to three litres of water.
• Only turn on the tap to wet your toothbrush and after you have finished with brushing your teeth to rinse your mouth. Better still, use a mug for brushing your teeth.
• Wash and rinse dishes in a basin of water instead of running water. Washing dishes in a basin will save you 13-16 litres of water per day.
• Take showers instead of bath. Don't use your washing machine until you have a full load.