Across the country, Canadians throw items such as leftover food, hair, bugs, and cigarette butts into the toilet, wasting about six to 20 litres of clean water per flush, the study found.
“This data highlights, once again, that Canadians are not making the connection between their personal water use and the true value of water,” Bob Sandford, EPCOR chair of the Canadian Partnership Initiative of the UN Water for Life Decade, said in a press release.
The fourth annual Canadian Water Attitudes Study was commissioned by RBC and Unilever and endorsed by the Canadian Partnership Initiative of the United Nations Water for Life Decade.
The study shows that 55 percent of Canadians believe that fresh water is Canada’s most important natural resource, and 78 percent say they are trying reasonably hard to conserve it.
Four in five say they know the water in the toilet is the same high quality as the water coming out of the water faucet, and 76 percent are aware that almost half of the water used in the home is flushed down the toilet.
Among the respondents, Albertans are most likely (83 percent) to admit that they flush items that could be disposed of in other ways, while Quebecers are least likely (65 percent). Overall, those between 18 and 34 are more likely than those 55 and over to waste water: 84 percent versus 63 percent.
“They claim to care about conserving it, yet knowingly engage in water wasting activities, including using fresh, clean water to dispose of garbage,” said Sandford. “Canadians need to understand that water is a finite resource and there are significant social and economic implications related to wasting it.”
Canadians on average use 327 litres of water per day, yet 67 percent underestimate that amount. Almost half (46 percent) still leave the water running while doing dishes and hosing down the driveway (17 percent.)
The willingness to waste water is probably linked to Canadians not knowing what they pay for their water usage, the study found. While 61 percent admit they do not know how much their household pays for water, 70 percent believe the unknown price is high enough to ensure water is treated as a valuable resource.
“Water is a real bargain in Canada, which is another reason Canadians have no concept of its value,” said Sandford.
Canadians pay far less for water compared to householders in other developed nations, Sandford noted.
“In France, water costs four times more, and in Germany, almost seven times more. Not surprisingly, average daily domestic water use in these countries is less than half of what it is in Canada. Until Canadians make the connection between personal use of water and its true value, our water wasting habits will continue.”
