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We Are What We Do
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Action #031
Turn off the tap whilst you brush your teeth
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This action has been done 89,443 times which means about 2,057,189 litres of water have been saved while we were polishing our pearls.
How we did the maths
A running tap flows at 6 litres per minute – which is about 24 litres of water a day. If you use a glass of water to rinse your mouth that’s approximately 1 litre per day, saving 23 litres of water a day.
Go on, tell me more
Leaving the tap running when you're brushing your teeth wastes up to 6 litres of water a minute or 35,000 litres of water per family, per year. This means your street alone could fill an Olympic sized swimming pool each year. Which wastes huge amounts of water and is a bit stupid - it's like having the toilet flush the whole time you're on it.
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Downloadables
Links we like
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The h2h project
Their mission is to positively affect those in the world who are living their lives amidst the most extreme conditions of poverty.
http://www.theh2hproject.org/home -
Tap Project
UNICEF's Tap Project asks restaurant patrons in New York to donate $1 for the tap water they usually enjoy for free. All funds raised support UNICEF’s efforts to bring clean water to children around the world.
http://www.tapproject.org/about/ -
Water Guide
Water saving tips.
http://www.water-guide.org.uk/tips.html -
The Environment Agency
The Environment Agency's guide on how to save water and why we should be doing it.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/drought/31755.aspx -
Webbli World
WebbliWorld is a virtual world that kids can explore, inhabit, belong to and share. It is a world that promotes caring, responsible behaviour and gives kids the opportunity to voice their opinions on topics that matter, such as the environment, climate change and recycling in an accessible and memorable way.
http://www.webbliworld.com/ -
Global Action Plan
If you're looking for help to cut your carbon footprint, tips on how to make more environmentally friendly choices or ideas on how to communicate environmental messages you'll find them here.
http://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/index.aspx -
Water Aid
WaterAid is an international charity with the mission to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.
http://www.wateraid.org/uk/default.asp
Stats
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about wasting water
- A running taps uses around six litres of water a minute. With two teeth brushings a day thats about 24 litres of water wasted a day - 168 litres a week. A family of four would save about 35,000 litres a year. 35,000 litre = 35m3. An Olympic swimming pool holds 2500m3 of water. 70 families would fill one swimming pool a year.
- The average person in the UK uses 150 litres of water a day. This takes into account cooking, cleaning, washing and flushing.
- 2/5 of world population already faces water shortages, and 1.1 billion people in the developing world do not have access to a minimal amount of clean water.
- People in rich countries use ten times more water than people in poor countries. Even in poor countries the rich can use as much as several hundreds of litres of water a day, and the poor have access to as little as 20 litres per person per day.
- Water isn't running out - the water cycle is continuous, but with the increasing population there are more of us to share the water supply.
- Desalination turns salt water from oceans into clean drinking water - but this process uses lots of energy, so can worsen the effects of climate change.
- The amount of water we use in the UK is not sustainable, we have to use less on a daily basis to ensure our supply doesn't run out. Water consumption is also linked to climate change - because treating, pumping and heating water produces carbon dioxide - which is a greenhouse gas.
- You can also try having short showers rather than baths, and filling a plastic bottle with water and put it in the fridge. This way when you want a cold glass of water you can simply open the fridge rather than running the tap until the water runs cold. Put a water butt in the garden to catch rainfall and use this to water the garden rather than using this water from a hosepipe. You can also clean cars and windows with this water.
- Toilet flushing accounts for 30% of our daily water use - with old toilets using as much as 14 litres per flush compared to new dual flush models which use as little as 2.6 and 4 litres per flush.
- Fixing a dripping tap can save as much as 5000 litres a year - if everyone in the UK fixed their dripping taps we would save enough water to supply 120,000 for one day
- About one third of the water each person uses on a daily basis is wasted - it runs straight down the plughole or down the toilet without being used.
- Despite having a seemingly wet climate some parts of the UK are experiencing water shortages, with the lowest rainfall, groundwater and reservoir levels for decades.
- The energy used to pump, treat and heat the water in the average family's home produces the carbon equivalent of a return flight from London to New York.
- If each person in England and Wales made a saving of 22 litres, this would equate to a saving of 51.48 litres per household(working on the assumption of an average of 2.34 people per household in England and Wales. There are approximately 54 million water consumers in England and Wales).
- The water companies serve approximately 23 million households in England and Wales. Across 23 million households, a saving of 51.48 litres per day, would equate to total savings of 1184 millions litres (Ml) per day.
- If the average person in a household was using 125 litres per day , these water savings would be enough to serve a domestic population of more than 9.5 million people.
- This would be more than enough water to supply the needs of London (7,556,900) Birmingham (1,010,200), and Cardiff (321,000), which have a combined population of 8,888,100
Recently Posted
ddd
ddddd 12 March 2010, 23:33TURN THAT TAP OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought to myslef why do people leave the tap on while brushing their teeth. I used to leave it on but then i turned it off. My mums water bill dropped by 20% and she was very pleased 10 March 2010, 10:31Turn off the tap whilst brush your teeth
I make sure my household do this by posting a reminder on sinks to Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth and while soaping the hands. 17 February 2010, 05:33turn off the tap whilst you brush your teeth
i always turn the tap off while brushing my teeth 15 February 2010, 15:26brushing my teeth
when i was brushing my teeth i took off thetap
by deanna 06 February 2010, 17:03
use a glass
if you're sensitive to cold water clean your brush while it's warming before to fill it. 04 February 2010, 14:10save the world
I tried my hardest to not use yhat much water when i brush my teeth 03 February 2010, 10:42I do this
and I'm in the process of teaching my 2 and a half year old to do it too, it's difficult because he just loves playing with water but we're getting there. 02 February 2010, 15:02Of course!
I always do this, of course! If you are not using something, turn it off! Simple logic and simple action! :) 01 February 2010, 12:42:)
i've done this all my life..it just became a normal thing..why should i waste water that way? brushing my teeth=turn off the tap:) 31 January 2010, 11:19Pearly whites
I have done this all my life. It just becomes habit. I'd hate the thought of all that water getting wasted, especially since I live in an area that is in a drought. 28 January 2010, 13:12For a LOOONG Time
I started when I s a Kid, I wondered why it made a differance, it was My Water Right? In My HouseAh the Naiveties of Childhood =D 27 January 2010, 10:51
teaching others too!
Yep, I always do this. I am also in the process of teaching my 2 and a half year old to do it - challenging as he LOVES to play with water. 25 January 2010, 15:50i have done one action
i turned of the tap when i brushed my teeth 23 January 2010, 13:32Every morning.
I make sure to do this every day. What I really need to work on is turning the tap off whilst washing dishes. 22 January 2010, 18:34Swich off tap
I switch off the tap when I am not using it .Also not to waste water.By Sylvie B.Y.E
22 January 2010, 15:15
Saving Water (:
I saved up to 6 litres of water a minute by turning off the water until I needed to rinse out my mouth after brushing my teeth ( : 18 January 2010, 03:49Doesn't everyone
I always thought everyone did this, and was amazed there are people who leave the water running when they brush their teeth. Why? 15 January 2010, 21:25Teeth Cleaning
When you clean your teeth there is no obvious need to leave the tap running. This also goes for when you wash your hands (ie turn the tap off while you put the soap on) or shave (this one is for males usually). 10 January 2010, 12:46Easy to do and every little bit helps
Read the book and started doing this 2 years ago. It doesn't get easier than this. 06 January 2010, 17:53Turn off the Tap
I did it today when brushing after reading the book and remembering it was the most memorable action. :) 27 December 2009, 01:12Ever since I was a young girl.....
my parents taught me this small conservation and I can be thankful for all of the liters of water I've saved over the years. Along the same lines, I started putting a bucket under the shower faucet to collect the cold water before my shower. Then I use the water to water the plants and give the dog a fresh bowl of clean cool water. It made me realize I was letting the water run too long while I waited for it to get to hot. 26 December 2009, 20:04turned off the tap while brushing my teeth
I do this every time I brush my teeth =-). 15 December 2009, 08:50turn off the TAPS
i turned off the taps when i brushed my teeth!:) 15 December 2009, 08:45Really?
I've always turned the tap off! My whole life! I was shocked the first time I heard that people leave the water running the whole time. Wow... 13 December 2009, 10:10just do it!!! ;)
when i was in year 2 of primary school my teacher told our class about turning your tap off while brushing brushing your teeth, ive done it ever since! its not hard! 10 December 2009, 12:20I do it all the time...
I always turn off the tap when brushing my teeth, ever since my sister told me to. 05 December 2009, 12:33:)
i did it all week :) 02 December 2009, 19:51dunno
i brushed my teeth 26 November 2009, 08:24I SAVED WATER
Never have never will 25 November 2009, 10:18I never leave the tap on.....
Why would you? It just wastes more water! :) 19 November 2009, 04:29i turned off the tap when i was brushing my teeth
ive stopped leaving the tap on when i brush my teeth, i feel like a super hero already, im going to try showig faster next! 18 November 2009, 09:57turn of tap while brushing your teeth
it went really well everyone participated and was easy to encourage hopefully everyone takes a leaf out of everyone elses book and join in to save more water and to help your mums and dads to lower there water bill.. thank youBrushinggggg.
Always done this and always will. 15 November 2009, 16:17Turn of Tap when brushing teeth
I've done this 9 times 13 November 2009, 21:01I always do this
Its more helpful when you use less water 13 November 2009, 14:32☻water☻
i always turn the tap off while im brushing my teeth so consider me as doing this twice a day! ^_^ 13 November 2009, 14:08save water
I think it is very helpful to the enviromant10 November 2009, 20:10
I told you!
I told my mum and dad to do this action as well, and they actually did it. So we all turned the tap off when we weren't using the water. 09 November 2009, 12:31yes
very good sirteeth
did that this mor + last night 04 November 2009, 16:23teeth
did that this morning and last night 03 November 2009, 20:13I did dod dad doo daa day
i got a certificate from the mayor of cleeny teeth land 02 November 2009, 13:03my whole family
have done it! we hate wasting water because we'v been abroad and seen with our own eyes how little water people have and how much pain and suffering they have to go through. 01 November 2009, 17:31Water saving
I always turn the tap off while brushing my teeth, but also, Martin and I brush our teeth at the same time - therefore saving twice as much water! 28 October 2009, 13:58saving water
when i brush my teeth i turn off the water.. i went kenya over the summer and learnt how they value there water.. so i try not to waste the water i get. :) 18 October 2009, 13:01I can't believe there's anyone who DOESN'T turn it off.
Being from Australia, where we've had near constant drought for decades, I can't even fathom that anyone WOULDN'T turn the tap off. How hard is it to do?Turning the tap off when you brush your teeth is about the same to me as putting food in your mouth while eating, instead of throwing it at the roof overhead and hoping some falls in. :) 16 October 2009, 22:27
brush offf rinse repeate
turn off tap brush turn on tap rise brush ... repeate 05 October 2009, 13:46i did it woo!!
i do this every morining 01 October 2009, 14:33Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth
It's a small thing to do and I've managed to get into the habit of doing it every day. I've also managed to get my brother and sister to do it too so we all encourage each other to turn the tap off. 19 September 2009, 22:14Turn the damn tap off!
Ok I did a few silly calculations. There are 4 people in my family including myself. We all brush our teeth twice a day so 4x2=8.We are supposed to brush our teeth for at least 3 minutes a day and if theres 8 of us it equals to 24 mins. If one min wastes 9 litres of water.. all together as a family if we left the tap on whilst we brush, we waste 216 litres of water. That is a hell of a lot of water. So I made sure no one left the tap on whilst the brush! :) 26 July 2009, 20:05
Turn the tap off campaign
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl2Uh6zV5Fo 09 July 2009, 18:43Water running
I never leave the tap running whilst I brush my teeth; I only let it run when I need to rinse my mouth out! 20 February 2009, 12:58
my hint
when i brush my teeth i get some water in a mug (0.3 liters) and use it to rinse my mouth and to clean my brush and the wash basin. so i need all in all "only" 0.3 liters water for each teeth brushing... 25 November 2008, 17:04WALLA!
WALLA! This web site has taught me a lot since I only joined up a few hours ago. A teacher at my school recommended it to me. We have been reading change the world for ten bucks in the past few weeks. I am hoping that as I grow up and become older that I will be able to do more on my behalf to change the world. I have already done around ten of the actions. The most I have done is probably no.31. Well I hope you are enjoy doing your bit for the enviroment. TOODLES! 10 April 2008, 05:37