Water, water, everywhere!

There has been a lot of talk in the media lately about how clean the rivers and streams are in New Zealand.

Most of us would love to be able to swim in local rivers but unfortunately that is not always the case. Some have so much pollution that it is not safe for us to do so.

Having enough clean water is becoming a really big concern throughout the world. When you turn on the tap at home, stop and think where did this water come from, or why it is that not everyone in the world has enough water?

Did you know that the average family of four uses 45,000 litres of water a year just to wash clothes. That’s 300 bathtubs full. How about that cheeseburger you had for dinner last night. That required 2,400 litres of water to produce. Most of the water is needed for producing the beef and when you include the slice of cheese and the bun that is another 100 litres of water. Even that bar of chocolate requires 1,700 litres of water to produce – in fact chocolate is made from ingredients with large water footprints: cocoa paste, cocoa butter and cane sugar. Cocoa beans are native to rainforests and require vast amounts of water to thrive.

So come on, lets make a start to help clean up our waterways and share these great ideas with your family to help save water