What Madrid is doing to save water - Part 1

Authorities in the Spanish capital dispense advice that can serve you, too

The press service of Madrid City Hall has informed citizens today about the new campaign launched by the local government that aims to remind people living in the Spanish capital about the importance of saving water. The authorities have dished out useful advice and practices which are easy to remember and easier to follow and which when adhered to can continue with the good practice of reducing unnecessary water consumption in the Community of Madrid.

Did you know that each Madrid resident uses 125 litres of water per day?

This campaign is meant as encouraging the right direction in water usage and making sure that the good results of recent years are maintained. In 2019, Madrid used up some 151 300 000 m³ of water, however, this is a good number because it is part of the trend in the past several years to reduce water consumption by more than 20%. Not bad, considering that this saving equals the annual water usage of a large city, such as Zaragoza.

It is up to everyone to do his or her individual part in saving daily water usage. Madrid City Hall suggests looking into the countless daily activities we perform that require the precious liquid. We can do some of them in a more environmentally and sustainably-minded way.

You will be surprised how much water can be saved by paying close attention to daily tasks

Here are some of the critical areas in our daily lives that can help us in water conservation:

Taps: You can shut them while brushing your teeth, soap your hands or shave and you will save 12 litres per minute! Install water-saving tap nozzles and you can save 30 litres a day.

Shower: Rather than filling up the bathtub, take a shower and shut the taps while soaping up. The result will be 50% reduced consumption, which translates to 150 litres saved with each shower.

Toilet: Use newer models that allow flushing with half of the tank. Another thing you can do is avoid throwing wet towels, food leftovers and such items that obstruct unnecessarily the flushing process. Saving can accumulate to more than 100 litres a day.

Kitchen: Only use the dishwasher and laundry machine when they are full, and if they have the options turn the water-saving mode on. If you wash the dishes by hand, turn off the tap when you soap them.

Food: When thawing out frozen products, let them stay in the fridge first, rather than placing them under running water. Water used to boil eggs or steam vegetables can be used to water plants providing them with extra nutrients.

Garden: Try to grow native plants which need less moisture. When watering the plants do so in the mornings and evenings when there will be less evaporation. For trees and bushes, use drip irrigation.

Car: Washing the car with a bucket and a cloth is ten times more economical than doing it with a hose.

Stay tuned tomorrow to find out what other measures have been implemented by the City of Madrid in terms of saving water.