6 ways to reduce your water consumption

March 22 is World Water Day, a time to celebrate water and raise awareness about water resource issues. This year's theme is “accelerating change” to solve the water and sanitation crisis.

Freshwater is a vital resource that we use for a wide range of activities from drinking and cooking to cleaning, manufacturing products, generating electricity, transportation, and growing food. As the global population continues to grow, so does the demand for fresh water. Furthermore, urbanisation and environmental degradation are affecting the quality and availability of freshwater on a global scale. This is why it is essential for all of us to collaborate in reducing our freshwater usage.

Billions of people are experiencing a water and sanitation crisis

According to the United Nations, 2.2 billion people lack access to safe and clean water, and more than 4.2 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. This is a global crisis that affects health, education, and economic growth, particularly in vulnerable communities.

You can reduce your water footprint by making conscious choices

There are a few ways we can reduce our water footprint, from turning the tap off, using water-saving appliances, taking shorter showers, washing clothes only when necessary, or using a rainwater tank for your garden. The biggest way to reduce your water footprint, however, is through diet and lifestyle changes.

According to National Geographic, by choosing to consume a whole foods vegan diet, you can save up to 2,271.25L of water per day - that's over 800 million litres per year! This is because animals and their feed require large amounts of water during the growing stage and there is also extensive water use during the slaughter and processing of animal products. It is estimated that animal agriculture is responsible for 20-33% of all fresh water consumption in the world. Animals in many cases are also responsible for polluting surrounding waterways.

It’s important to point out that nuts also require a large amount of water. In saying this, if you limit your serving sizes you can maintain a low water footprint, as it balances out with other foods in your diet.

Processing food requires additional water for cleaning the food and machinery, pre-cooking, packaging, and delivery of the goods. By buying more plant-based whole foods you can reduce your footprint massively.

Every bit of food you throw out is wasting water. Australia wastes 7.6 million tones of food every year, with households being responsible for around 2.5 million tonnes. The amount of water used to grow this wasted food is 2,600 gigalitres - roughly five Sydney Harbours!

You can reduce your food waste by only buying what you need, planning meals, learning how to store food correctly, understanding 'best before' foods can still be eaten after this date (as long as it has been stored correctly), getting creative with left-overs, monitoring portion sizes to ensure you aren't throwing out food left on your plate.

All plants have specific requirements when it comes to growing. By choosing to eat produce that is in season, you can reduce the environmental footprint of your food choices. This is because foods that are out of season may have been imported - increasing travel distances - or grown in a man-made environment that requires more power and thus water. If you're not sure what produce is in season, you can download a phone app, like InSeason, to help you while shopping.

By purchasing local produce, you are helping reduce the amount of water needed for transport.

Water use isn't just linked to our food, it's also what we wear. You can reduce your clothing water footprint by

• buying second hand,

• avoiding fast fashion and choosing quality products that will last you years,

• prolonging the life of your clothes (wash carefully, air-dry, mend if torn),

• donating clothes or upcycle them,

• looking for sustainable brands certifications.

When cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals enter the water system, water treatment plant processes struggle to remove all the toxins. This means that some of the chemicals enter the waterways, contaminating the ecosystem, impacting animals and plants.

As a consumer, you can help reduce these impacts by purchasing eco-friendly, biodegradable, and natural products. These products have the bonus of being kind to animals, as they aren't tested on them! We've put together a list of some of our favourites here.

Want to learn more? Animal Liberation recently wrote a submission for the Inquiry into Food Production and Supply in NSW. Read it here (PDF will download).