Water-Wise Advice Initiative provides a significant vehicle for information dissemination and outreach for the utilization of the mass media.

1.MORE PEOPLE DIE FROM UNSAFE WATER THAN FROM ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE, INCLUDING WAR 2.OF ALL THE EARTH'S WATER, 97% IS SALT WATER FOUND IN OCEANS AND SEAS. 3.ONLY 1% OF THE EARTH'S WATER IS AVAILABLE FOR DRINKING WATER. TWO PERCENT IS FROZEN. FACTS

4.USE A WATER FLOW-REDUCER ATTACHMENT IN YOUR SINK FAUCETS AND SHOWER HEADS TO REDUCE WATER USE AND WASTAGE. 5.ALWAYS BE SURE TO TURN APS OFF TIGHTLY SO THEY DO NOT DRIP. 6.PROMPTLY REPAIR LEAKS IN AND OUT AROUND TAPS AND FAUCETS. (ONE LEAK CAN WASTE SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF LITRES OF WATER PER YEAR.) TIPS

7.THE HUMAN BODY IS ABOUT 75% WATER. 8.A PERSON CAN SURVIVE ABOUT A MONTH WITHOUT FOOD, BUT ONLY 5 TO 7 DAYS WITHOUT WATER. 9.SHOWERING AND BATHING ARE THE LARGEST INDOOR USES (27%) OF WATER DOMESTICALLY. FACTS

10.WHEN HAND-WASHING DISHES, OR CLEANING FRUIT AND VEGETABLES, NEVER RUN WATER CONTINUOUSLY. WASH THEM IN A PARTIALLY FILLED SINK, THEN RINSE THEM QUICKLY UNDER THE TAP. 11.IF YOU HAVE AN AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER, USE IT ONLY TO WASH FULL LOADS, AND USE THE ENERGY SAVER OR SHORTEST CYCLE POSSIBLE. 12.WHEN BOILING VEGETABLES, SAVE WATER BY USING JUST ENOUGH TO COVER THEM AND USE A TIGHTLY FITTING LID. TIPS

13.A CHILD BORN IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD CONSUMES 30 TO 50 TIMES AS MUCH WATER AS ONE IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD. 14.WATER SCARCITY CAN ROUGHLY BE DIVIDED INTO TWO CATEGORIES: "APPARENT" SCARCITY EXISTS WHEN THERE IS PLENTY OF WATER, BUT IS INEFFICIENTLY AND WASTEFULLY USED; "REAL" SCARCITY IS CAUSED BY INSUFFICIENT RAIN-FALL OR LARGE POPULATIONS DEPENDING ON A LIMITED RESOURCE. 15.WITH 2 BILLION PEOPLE GAINING ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES, THE WATER TARGET WAS REACHED IN 2010, FIVE YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. FACTS

16.KEEP A BOTTLE OF DRINKING WATER IN THE REFRIGERATOR, INSTEAD OF RUNNING THE TAP UNTIL THE WATER GETS COOL EACH TIME YOU WANT SOME. 17.PUT FOOD SCRAPS INTO THE GARBAGE OR PREFERABLY A COMPOST PILE (EXCEPT MEAT SCRAPS), NOT INTO A SINK GARBAGE- DISPOSAL UNIT. SUCH UNITS WASTE WATER, ADD UNWANTED SOLIDS AND GREASE TO SEPTIC TANK SYSTEMS, AND SOMETIMES OVERLOAD SEWAGE SYSTEMS. 18.WHEN WASHING OR SHAVING PARTIALLY FILL THE SINK BASIN AND USE THAT WATER RATHER THAN RUNNING THE TAP CONTINUOUSLY. (THIS SAVES ABOUT 60 PER CENT OF THE WATER.) USE SHORTS BURSTS OF WATER TO CLEAN RAZORS. TIPS

19.A LEAKY FAUCET CAN WASTE 100 GALLONS A DAY. 20.ONE FLUSH OF THE TOILET USES 6 ½ GALLONS OF WATER. 21.AN AVERAGE BATH REQUIRES 37 GALLONS OF WATER. FACTS

22.WHEN BRUSHING YOUR TEETH TURN THE WATER OFF WHILE YOU ARE ACTUALLY BRUSHING, INSTEAD OF RUNNING IT CONTINUOUSLY. USE WATER FROM A MUG FOR RINSING. (THIS SAVES ABOUT 80 PER CENT OF WATER.) 23.USE ENERGY EFFICIENT SHOWER-HEADS OR TAKE “SAILOR’S SHOWERS”- THAT IS, TURN OFF THE WATER WHILE YOU ARE SOAPING AND SHAMPOOING, AND THEN RINSE OFF QUICKLY. 24. SHORT SHOWERS USE LESS WATER THAN BATHS; BUT IF YOU STILL PREFER BATHING, AVOID OVERFILLING THE TUB- ONE QUARTER FULL SHOULD BE ENOUGH. TIPS

25.AN AVERAGE FAMILY OF FOUR USES 88 1 GALLONS OF WATER PER WEEK JUST BY FLUSHING THE TOILET. 26.THE AVERAGE 5-MINUTE SHOWER TAKES GALLONS OF WATER-- AROUND 40 GALLONS ARE USED IN 10 MINUTES. 27.TAKE SHORT SHOWERS INSTEAD OF BATHS. FACTS

28.REDUCE WATER USE IN THE TOILET BY ABOUT 20 PER CENT BY PLACING TWO WEIGHTED 2-LITRE PLASTIC BOTTLES FILLED WITH WATER, IN YOUR TOILET TANK. OR REDUCE WATER USE BY 50 PER CENT OR MORE BY INSTALLING LOW-FLUSH TOILETS. 29.CHECK REGULARLY FOR TOILET TANK LEAKS INTO THE TOILET BOWL BY PUTTING A SMALL AMOUNT OF FOOD COLOURING INTO THE TANK AND OBSERVING IF IT SPREADS TO THE BOWL WITHOUT FLUSHING. REPAIR LEAKS PROMPTLY. ALSO PERIODICALLY EXAMINE WHETHER THE PLUNGE BALL AND FLAPPER VALVE IN THE TANK ARE PROPERLY “SEATED,” AND REPLACE PARTS WHEN NECESSARY. 30.REGULARLY CHECK FOR LEAKS AT THE BASE OF YOUR TOILET, AND HAVE ANY PROMPTLY REPAIRED. FLUSH YOUR TOILET ONLY WHEN REALLY NECESSARY. TIPS

31.A FULL BATHTUB REQUIRES ABOUT 36 GALLONS OF WATER. 32.YOU USE ABOUT 5 GALLONS OF WATER IF YOU LEAVE THE WATER RUNNING WHILE BRUSHING YOUR TEETH. 33.IF YOU WATER YOUR GRASS AND TREES MORE HEAVILY, BUT LESS OFTEN, THIS SAVES WATER AND BUILDS STRONGER ROOTS. FACTS

34.NEVER FLUSH GARBAGE OF ANY KIND DOWN YOUR TOILET. HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS, PAINTS, SOLVENTS, PESTICIDES AND OTHER CHEMICALS CAN BE HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT. AND CIGARETTE BUTTS, PAPER TISSUES, PAPER DIAPERS, DENTAL FLOSS, PLASTIC TAMPON HOLDERS, CONDOMS AND THE LIKE CREATE PROBLEMS AT SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS. 35.LOCATE YOUR WATER METER AND PERIODICALLY RECORD THE READING LATE IN THE EVENING AND AGAIN EARLY THE NEXT MORNING BETWEEN ANY WATER USES. COMPARE THE READINGS TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY LEAKAGE DURING THE NIGHT. IF SO, TRACK DOWN AND HAVE IT REPAIRED PROMPTLY. 36.WASH ONLY FULL LOADS OF LAUNDRY IN YOUR WASHING A MACHINE. IF YOUR WASHER HAS AN ADJUSTABLE WATER-LEVEL INDICATOR, SET THE DIAL TO USE ONLY AS MUCH WATER AS IS REALLY NECESSARY. TIPS

37.EACH PERSON NEEDS TO DRINK ABOUT 2 ½QUARTS (80 OUNCES) OF WATER EVERY DAY. 38.LESS THAN 2% OF THE EARTH’S WATER SUPPLY IS FRESH WATER. 39.RAIN IS FREE, WHY NOT USE THAT INSTEAD? ALMOST 100,000 LITRES OF RAINWATER FALLS ON OUR ROOFS EACH YEAR. FACTS

40.USE THE SHORTEST CYCLE POSSIBLE FOR WASHING CLOTHES. USE COOL WATER RATHER THAN HOT, AND USE THE “SUDS-SAVER” FEATURE IF THE MACHINE HAS IT. 41.USE ONLY CLEANING PRODUCTS THAT WILL NOT HARM THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN THEY ARE WASHED AWAY AFTERWARDS. BUY PHOSPHATE-FREE DETERGENTS, AND AVOID USING BLEACHES AND COMMERCIAL FABRIC SOFTENERS. TIPS