SAVE WATER – SAVE MONEY
AND HELP PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
ENGLISH
1
USE WATER WISELY FOR A
HAPPIER WALLET
AND ENVIRONMENT
When we turn on the tap, do the laundry or take a shower, we
rarely give much thought to how much water we are using – or
how much it is costing us. The same goes for water wastage,
running toilets and leaky taps, which quickly add up to a lot of
water that just goes down the drain. Each person in Denmark
uses around 40 m3 of water a year, corresponding to 4 water
tankers.
Our drinking water is produced from groundwater, which is
threatened by pollution in many places. Clean drinking water
from an underground source is a limited resource which is part
of the natural cycle, and we should use it wisely.
How can you avoid water wastage and save water...
and money?
A toilet that
runs so you
can barely see it,
can waste up to 100 m3
of water a year. This
corresponds to 10
water tankers and costs
approximately DKK
6,000.
2
A standard
showerhead uses
around 12 litres of water
a minute and a waterefficient showerhead
uses approximately 8
litres of water
a minute.
IN THE BATHROOM
•
Keep an eye on whether the toilet is running: A toilet that runs so it is
barely visible can waste around 100 m3 a year and costs approximately
DKK 6,000.
•
If necessary, replace an old toilet with a newer, water-efficient model
•
Make sure that your taps do not drip. A dripping tap can waste 15 litres of
water a day, which is equivalent to DKK 300 a year
•Fit your taps and shower with tap aerators (perlators) and save water
•
Use a water-efficient showerhead and save around 4 litres of water for
every minute you shower
•
Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth
•
When washing your hands, turn off the tap while applying the soap and
then turn it on again to rinse the soap off
•
Drink water from a glass and not straight from the tap – this way, you’re
not wasting water
•
Turn off the water in the shower while you soap up and wash your hair
•Do not take longer showers than you need. You save 8–12 litres of water
for every minute you shorten your shower
•
Do not use the toilet as a rubbish bin. Discard cotton buds, tissues and the
like in a rubbish bin rather than in the toilet.
In doing so, you will save around 2–12 litres per flush
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IN THE KITCHEN
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fix leaky taps
Choose water-efficient taps
Fit your taps with perlators to reduce the volume of water that passes through them
Fill up the dishwasher before starting it. It is not necessary to rinse the dishes
beforehand – it is enough just to scrape off any leftovers
Wash your vegetables in a bowl instead of under running water
Keep a jug of water in the fridge so that you do not have to let the tap run for a
glass of cold water
Cook vegetables in as little water as possible – saving both water and energy
If you rinse under
running water for
5 minutes, you use around
60 litres of water. If you do
this every day, it adds up to
an annual water consumption of around 22 m3. This
corresponds to around 2
water tankers.
4
30
Fill up the
washing
machine
WHEN YOU DO THE LAUNDRY
•
If necessary, replace an old washing machine with a new one that is
more energy and water efficient
•
Fill the washing machine before washing. This saves time, limits the
wear on the machineand reduces water and energy consumption
• Skip the pre-wash – this is seldom necessary
• Wash at the lowest possible temperature and save energy
• Do not wash clothes until they are actually dirty
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USE OF WATER OUTDOORS
•
Collect rainwater in a rain barrel or a bucket – then you
can use it to water the plants or wash the car
•
Use a watering can when you water your flowerbeds
and pots. When you water with a garden hose, you
use 12 litres of water a minute, a lot of which is often
wasted rather than used for watering the plants
•
Avoid watering your plants around midday, as most of
the water evaporates between 10 am and 3 pm
•
Fill a small paddling pool for the kids with water without chemicals. Afterwards, you can use the water to
water your plants
•
Take your family on trips to the lake, beach or swimming baths instead of filling a pool with water
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TIP:
Leave a bucket outside
to fill up with
rainwater. Save the
water for days without
much rain
A dripping
tap – 6,000
litres of water
wasted
DKK 250 a year
REPLACEMENT OF TOILETS,
MACHINES, TAPS, ETC.
I f you live in a property where you can replace machines or
installations yourself, you can save a lot of water – and a lot of
money by:
•
Replacing your toilet with a water-efficient model with a large
flush and a small flush of 4 and 2 litres respectively.
•
Obtaining a water-efficient showerhead and saving around 4 litres
of water a minute.
A standard showerhead uses approximately 12 litres of water a
minute, whereas a water-efficient showerhead uses around 8
litres of water a minute.
•
Replacing washing machines and dishwashers with new, energy
and water-efficient models.
•Fitting your taps with perlators (tap aerators) or changing them to
a more water-efficient model
7
HOFOR A/S
Ørestads Boulevard 35
2300 København S
Telefon 33 95 33 95
hofor.dk
For more useful advice on how to
save water and prevent water wastage,
visit www.hofor.dk/vandspare
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