08/02/2021
“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” Benjamin Franklin
AUGUST IS National Water Quality Month
Many of us are guilty of taking our clean, fresh water for granted. It is easy to do. We turn on the tap to fill our glass. We turn on the hose to water our flowers. Very few of us can ever remember a time when water was considered a scarcity. It can happen & this stressful event may occur sooner than expected if we are not careful.
National Water Quality Month was created to help remind people of the importance of protecting our water supplies.
Did you know?
• That less than 1% of all water on Earth is usable by humans
• Only 1% of Canada’s fresh water is renewable
• If the world’s water fit into a bucket, only one teaspoonful would be drinkable
• The average North American uses 400 liters of water every day whereas the average person in the developing world uses 10 liters of water every day for their drinking, washing and cooking
• Every year globally more people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war
Shower Manager
One of the best purchases that we made for our house was the Shower Manager. Having two teenagers in the house meant that a lot of water was being wasted with 40 minute showers that occurred several times a day. One of my sons even had a habit of falling asleep in the shower. One day, I finally had enough of no hot water, of being late for school and the waste. A thorough search on-line found our family savior: The Shower Manager. This baby was awesome!! It could be set for 5, 8 or 11 minutes. It gives a one minute warning beep, then it shuts the water down to nothing. And no amount of whining or tinkering can turn it back on for 5 minutes. We started at 11 minutes with many complaints that the “arena showers are better than this” and threats of using “the garden hose”. However, after a couple of weeks all was settled again. Surprisingly, neither one commented when the time was secretly cut to 8 minutes. It is amazing what you can adjust to.
Nurse Pattye’s Tips to Build Resiliency During National Water Quality Month
• Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save up to 550 liters per month. (I can’t imagine how much we wasted over the years)
• Turn off the water while you shave your legs and shampoo and save up to 1700 liters a month.
• Reduce runoff by using barrels or creating rain gardens.
• Turn downspouts of rain gutters into planted areas instead of toward paved surfaces such as driveways.
• Make sure sprinklers are not watering the streets and driveways.
• If you must use a fertilizer, choose one that contains at least 30% slow-release nitrogen. High nitrogen fertilizers on a plant that does not need it is a waste of money and will eventually be washed away by storm water.
• Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Fix it and save up to 3700 liters a month. Use water efficient toilets.
The Quality & Quantity of Our Fresh Waters
Our water use has increased, and in many places the availability of water is falling to crisis levels. More than eighty countries, with 40% of the world’s population are already facing water shortages. It is in our own best interest, as well as the future of our children, that we do our very best to ensure the quality and quantity of our fresh water.
“Water is the driving force of all nature.” Leonardo da Vinci
Visit for rapid compassionate care refer your friends / family to
NursePattye directly using this link:
https://www.pushhealth.com/.../new-patients/panderson73
