Malaysia is indeed a blessed country. We do not suffer major water crises as some of our of neighbours do. But in contrast, Malaysia has the highest water consumption rate in Southeast Asia. Did you know, the average Malaysian actually uses about 300 litres of water per day, which is double the benchmark recommended by the United Nations? The benchmark set by the United Nations is only 165 litres per day for each individual.
When 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to clean water, we can say without hesitation that our excessive consumption is a pure form of wastage that does not fulfil the government’s desire for its citizens to lead a green lifestyle. In a sum, all Malaysians should practice the ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ way of life, starting from the home. A small change in our lifestyle could make a huge difference in how much we use or misuse water.
Shower not soak
When you have to choose between a shower or soaking in a bathtub, choose to shower. A five-minute shower uses only 10 to 25 gallons of water while a bath uses up to 70 gallons of water. Even you choose to take a bath in the tub, don’t drain the water afterwards, use it to flush the toilet or water your plants.
Waste less water while dishwashing
Most Malaysians do not use dishwashers but maintain the typical way of hand-washing dishes. While doing your dishes, remember to turn off the water and not let the tap run. Also, consider putting a basin or large pot in your sink, filling it up with water, and washing your dishes in it. You can use a colander to drain the dirty water over the basin. Not only does it save a lot of water, but you can then use that water to flush the toilet or water your plants!
Keep the permanent press cycle to a minimum
Don’t overuse the permanent press cycle on your washing machine! The permanent press cycle on most washing machines uses an extra five gallons of water for the additional rinse.
Install a dual-flush system
It helps to save up to 68% of water compared to a conventional low flush toilet.
Collect rainwater
It is very easy and convenient to collect used water or rainwater. All you need are some containers to store or collect the water which you may use for gardening or washing your car.
Fix leaky sinks and running toilets
This might not seem to be an important issue but really it is! A running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water each day. At one drip per second, a faucet can leak 3,000 gallons of water in a year. Call the plumber already!