| Canada has a whopping 20% of the world's fresh water supply.
But 60% of that water flows north into the Arctic Ocean, a long way away
from the vast majority of Canadians. Increased consumption, international
pressure to divert water and global warming are all threatening to reduce
significantly the water available to Canadians.
Although water is a renewable resource, about 10% of all water used
is never returned to the environment. Most of the remaining 90% must be
treated, at significant cost, to remove harmful pollutants. Even after
treatment, it is not as clean as it was originally.
Between 1972 and 1991 Canadian water consumption almost doubled from
24 million cubic metres per year to 45 million cubic metres per year. During
the same period, our population only increased by 5%.
How do we use all this water?
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Thermal Power - 63%
-
to produce 1 kilowatt hour of electricity requires 140 litres for fossil
fuel water plants and 205 litres of water for nuclear power plants
Manufacturing - 16%
-
an automobile coming off the assembly line will have used at least 120,000
litres of water - 80,000 to produce its tonne of steel and 40,000 more
for the actual fabrication process
-
Municipal - 11%
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includes drinking, cooking, washing, gardening, public swimming pools,
fire fighting etc. - about half of this use is residential
-
Agriculture - 9%
Mining - 1%
How can you help conserve water?
Because residential use accounts for about 5% of all the water used in
Canada, your habits at home will make a difference.
Some simple conservation tips are listed below:
-
Install a toilet dam or other device to limit water flushed down the drain.
When renovating install low flush toilets. Most Canadian toilets use 20
litres of water every flush. Low flush toilets use just 6 litres.
-
Turn off the tap when you don't need it - while shaving, teeth brushing,
etc.
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Find and repair leaks - in toilets, taps etc. Leaks account for between
10 and 30% of all water withdrawn in pipes.
-
Run washing machines & dishwashers only when full or adjust the water
level on the washer.
-
Install low flow shower heads.
-
Monitor your water meter.
These statistics taken from Environment
Canada. They have a great web site where you can take an even closer
look at the role water plays in our lives.
Discover what one Canadian is doing to extract drinking water from fog in
On The Vapour Trail.
Do you think you might be interested in a career in water resources? Check
out the global career
page.
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