I grew up in Penrith and have spent most of my life on the Nepean River. I've also seen the devastation that extreme events like droughts, fires and the recent floods have had on our waterways. #saveitwithme allows me to take you on the water saving journey with me. Every drop counts, and whatever we can do to save water today will make the difference tomorrow.
We all know when it rains a lot, the dam becomes full, and we assume that means we have plenty of water available for everyday use. However, heavy rain means an unprecedented amount of silt and debris enters the dam's raw water supply, therefore taking longer to treat and turn into drinking water.
Even though things are slowly improving, I want to encourage people to save water where possible, as the situation can change in an instant, especially if we get another major downpour.
Water usage tends to spike over summer, and I wanted to share with you some of the small changes you can make in and around the home, which can have a huge impact in helping to save water. I know I'll be taking every opportunity to remind my friends and family to:
- take shorter showers. Every minute less in the shower saves one bucket of water
- use the half flush button on the toilet instead of the full flush when you can
- put a plug in the sink rather than leave the water running
- wait for a full load of dishes before turning on the dishwasher
- wait for a full load of washing before turning on the washing machine
- wash the car on the lawn with a bucket instead of a hose, which will water and fertilise the grass at the same time. Car wash products use phosphates that are like many fertilisers
- use a broom or rake rather than a hose to clean driveways and pathways
These things are easy to do, and go a long way to ensuring we all have clean, safe drinking water, now and in the future.
How we value water today affects how much we have for tomorrow!
Come on Balmain Public School - save it with me!
Regards
Jess Fox - Olympic Gold Medallist & nine-time Canoe Slalom World Champion
