Reducing water waste and pollution: Top tips
Simple, implementable tips for households and businesses to save water and reduce pollution entering our waterways.
97% of the water on our planet lies in our oceans, unconsumable by humans in its current state. 2.5% of water remains trapped inside ice caps and glaciers, which are at constant threat of melting with the rise in earth’s global temperature. This leaves 0.5% of accessible freshwater available for humans to use for drinking, washing, cleaning, and manufacturing processes. With such a small percentage of water available to us, why would we risk poisoning it?
In this article, we share some top tips from Enhesa’s HR department on saving water and reducing the risk of pollution into our rivers and oceans.
Where does water pollution come from?
Water pollution is the release of potentially harmful substances, like chemicals, into groundwater, lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries, and oceans. These unnatural additions to our waterways can disrupt the functioning of ecosystems and alter the temperature of large bodies of water, ultimately damaging the environment.
Here are the three most significant and impactful contributors to water usage and pollution:
- Agricultural production is the largest consumer of freshwater, using approximately 70% of the earth’s surface water for farming and livestock. It’s also the leading cause of water degradation, with agricultural pollution ranked as the number one source of contamination in rivers and streams in the United States. When it rains, the fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste present in farmland and crop fields release pathogens into our waterways.
- Wastewater (or sewage water) from sinks, showers, and toilets in commercial and industrial buildings, and households, releases untreated water back into the environment, accounting for over 80% of the world’s wastewater. This untreated water is filled with pathogens, heavy metals, and toxic chemicals. According to the EPA, we release over 850 billion gallons of untreated wastewater each year. In 2023, for example, more than 440,000 hours of sewage was released along the UK’s coastline.
- Oil pollution is a big culprit in water pollution. Big industrial spills have a major immediate impact on the health of our oceans, but the accumulative oil from vehicles, factories, farms, and the shipping industry account for the majority of this type of pollution.
As more and more of our water is polluted, many countries around the world experience the threat of water shortages. Further pressures on the environment from climate change only exacerbate this global concern.
Tips on saving water
Taking small steps to reduce your water usage can equate to huge changes. Saving water conserves our natural resources, diverting less untreated or excess water to rivers and estuaries, and allowing more water to be used in lacking areas; reduces our energy usage as lower pollution means less energy to prevent further damage; protects our marine life, keeping ecosystems healthy and functional; and more.
Employ some of our simple tips below to use less water in businesses, facilities, and personal homes.
Turn off taps
Turning off taps when brushing teeth, while washing hands for a minimum of 20 seconds, and while cleaning dishes can save six liters of water per minute.
Shorter showers
Taking shorter showers will undoubtedly reduce the amount of water wasted through sewage. Consider taking quicker showers and opt for a more efficient and sustainable shower head. Power showers, for example, use over 10 liters of water every minute.
Fill the machine
When using the washing machine, ensure you fill the machine to its maximum safety point, rather than doing multiple loads. Less usage equates to less wasted water.
Watering plants
To prevent water immediately evaporating in the summer, wash outdoor plants early in the morning or late in the evening. Ensure the water is penetrating the soil, rather than the leaves, so the liquid goes straight to the roots. Also consider using leftover water from other activities, like rainwater from water butts, to water your plants. Using a watering can rather than a hose can save up to 4,050 liters every year.
Check plumbing
Unchecked leaky taps could waste up to 60 liters of water every week. Regularly check your pipes and plumbing to ensure no water is leaking.
Mindful eating
Whilst unknown to many, the food and drink choices you make each day have an impact on water usage and water waste locally and regionally. For example, a single glass of wine is responsible for using approximately 154 liters of water. Similarly, around 2,400 liters are used in food production services to produce one hamburger.
Reusable bottle
Invest in a reusable water bottle to refill at various taps, avoiding bottled water and unrecyclable packaging.
Tips on reducing water pollution
Polluted water is not only dangerous for human consumption, wreaking possible havoc on our health and immune systems, but it also damages marine ecosystems and other habitats we rely on for survival and the proper functioning of our climate.
Implementing actionable steps to reduce water pollution is a global need and responsibility, and both businesses and households alike have a part to play.
Here are two examples of simple changes that businesses and individuals can make to help reduce water pollution.
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Dispose of products safely and sustainably
A major attribution to water pollution is the incorrect disposal of products, chemicals, and fuels. Undisposed litter, for example, accounts for 60% of water pollution, as wrappers, packaging, and non-compostables left on streets are often eventually swept into nearby bodies of water.
Incorrectly disposing of chemicals is another culprit. Motor oil and anti-freeze, for example, shouldn’t be poured down drains, directly onto soil, into waterways, or into sewers, as these drains all flow directly back into rivers. To get rid of chemicals safely, they should be sealed into containers and taken to approved centers to be properly disposed of.
Similarly, pouring fat or grease from cooking down kitchen drains can lead to clogged sewer pipes, carrying contaminants into local bodies of water. Lastly, don’t tip pills, powders, or medicines down the toilet — medical waste should be disposed of safely to ensure the ingredients don’t infect our waters and be carried around through streams, possibly entering the bodies of animals and disrupting plant life.
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Consider meat-free meals
As mentioned above, food and drink have surprisingly high water requirements, and these sectors in particular are at risk of both wasting and polluting water. In the US alone, over 1.6 billion chickens, pigs, cows, and other farm animals are being reared for human consumption annually. The resources needed to feed these animals are usually contaminated or disposed of improperly, releasing toxins into our water systems and soil.
If the global population cut down on their meat consumption, considering a minimum of one meat-free meal per week, not only would we use less water to feed crops and animals being raised for slaughter, we would also save around 82 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
With a world constantly under threat from food insecurity, water scarcity, natural disasters, and habitat loss triggered by anthropogenic activity, we must all do our part to protect the natural environment.
Learn more about protecting the environment
Leading and promoting a more sustainable society and way of life is the only way to futureproof the health of our planet. Learn more about how business operations can help mitigate and prevent the effects of unsustainable practices on the environment:
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The regulatory landscape is ever-shifting, with revised laws on EHS and compliance driving businesses to craft new strategies for tracking and maintaining compliance and sustainability. Here’s a recap of some of the trending topics in the environmental sector.