How to implement a campaign to reduce water waste in condominiums?
Awareness is one of the main steps to achieve sustainable water consumption in your condominium and end waste
Leak detection and repair, installation of cisterns, flow regulating devices, and changing the collective water meter to individual water meters are measures that can avoid wasting water in condominiums. However, none of these measures will be effective if the tenants do not understand the importance that this brings. Thus, a campaign to reduce water waste in condominiums is needed to raise awareness among residents. It is useless to have a rainwater collection system if the condominium makes irrational use of water or install flow restrictors if some people take excessively long showers.
People awareness is a challenging obstacle for condominiums to carry out good internal water management. We are not used to thinking about the water's path to our homes... We only know it is there when we turn on the faucet, easy and plentiful. But that, too, can easily change with a water crisis, for example. The lack of water not only impacts residential use, but can also lead to energy shortages, as Brazil's energy matrix is mostly hydraulic; the decrease in food supply can also occur due to the lack of water for irrigation, among other various problems that may arise. Therefore, internal awareness campaigns in your condominium are essential for the success of saving water.
But what to do?
Trying to change the habits of residents is difficult, but nowadays there is already a predisposition to collaborate towards sustainable attitudes according to pressure from society. Educational campaigns in your condominiums can be created through lectures, over the internet (with digital media and social networks) or in print, as in newsletters guardian of waters or Learn to save water. It is also important to highlight the economic gains - the reduction in the bill for the entire month is an attraction and an incentive to save water.
If there is no opportunity to modify the showers and faucets for automatic closing in the common areas of the condominium, you can apply stickers or plaques throughout the condominium with educational messages. They help the resident to remember the rational use of water, as in the bathroom when there is a notice reminding you to turn off the faucet to soap your hands.
About 75% of the water consumed at home comes from the bathroom - this is because the behavior of residents changes when no one is “watching”. Singing in the shower, brushing your teeth with an open faucet… These simple attitudes waste huge amounts of water.
Another tip is to use the condominium's visual communication means... Distribute posters on the murals, elevators and send letters to the apartments with information on the use of water and proposals for improvements, showing the benefits of saving water. Awareness should not only be aimed at residents, employees play an important role in the consumption of water in the condominium. They must also participate in awareness-raising actions and abolish attitudes such as washing the sidewalk and cars with running water. Therefore, talk to the manager or guardians to implement an environmental education campaign and encourage your condominium to be more sustainable.
Watch the video from the National Water Agency (ANA) on the rational use of water.
