Green Schools Parent Water Survey

A Survey has been conducted with families in the Central Remedial Clinic School around Water usage. Out of approximately 50 Surveys distributed, 31 surveys were completed. These are the results of the Survey.

 

1. Do you leave the water running while you brush your teeth?

 

2. How many times is the shower used per day?

 

3. How many sinks do you have in your house?

 

4. How many times is the dishwasher used per day?

 

5. What do you mostly use when washing dishes?

 

6. How many times a week do you use your washing machine?

 

7. Do you have a water butt in your garden?

 

8. What is the capacity of your toilet’s cistern?

 

9. How many toilets do you have at home?

 

10. How many litres of water do you think your toilet uses per day?

 

11. Are there any leaking taps or pipes in your home?

 

Commentary on Responses to Parent Water Survey

 

1. Do you leave the water running while you brush your teeth?

The overwhelming response to this question was ‘no’. It may be significant that some ‘tap tips’ pictures had been sent home with this survey. One of the tap tips was about conserving water  when brushing your teeth. All respondants may not have been totally truthful in answering this question!

 

2. How many times is the shower used per day?

We can say that nearly half of the people surveyed use the shower 3 or more times per day.

If we take this picture as being representative of the whole school community it gives us a picture of how privileged we are in our First World Society.

 

3. How many sinks do you have in your house?

Nearly three quarters of the people surveyed have 2 or more sinks in their house. Again, when we think of how much water may be used per day in each of these sinks, it gives us a picture of how plentiful water is for us here in Ireland. Or is it that we are living in a fools paradise?

 

4. How many times is the dishwasher used per day?

More than three quarters of the people surveyed said they either did not have a dishwasher, or used the dishwasher either once every second day or once per day. Seeing as a dishwasher can use up to 55 litres of water on a cycle it may be that there is some awareness amongst families of dishwashers being heavy water users.

 

5. What do you mostly use when washing dishes?

It is evident from the answers given that nearly half of the respondents did not properly understand this question. Approximately half the respondents said they used either a sink or a dishwasher when washing dishes. What this question was trying to find out was the type of detergent used by families. Approximately a quarter or respondents used dishwasher tablets while approximately a fifth used washing up liquid. These figures also allow us estimate how many respondents are washing their crockery in a dishwasher or in a sink.

 

6. How many times a week do you use your washing machine?

The washing machine is also a heavy water user. We see from the results of the survey that nearly half of respondents use the washing machine between 5-10 times per week. That is a lot of water use! A Washing machine can use 182 litres of water per load!

 

7. Do you have a Water Butt in your Garden

Most people do not have a water butt in their garden.

 

8. What is the capacity of your toilet cistern?

Most people did not know the answer to this question or did not answer but of those who made an estimate the majority said between 5-10 litres. In fact a rough estimate is about 7 litres.

9. How many toilets do you have at home?

The majority of people approximately half of respondents had two toilets. However, there was also a sizeable number that have three toilets in their home.

 

1. How many Litres of water do you think your toilet uses per day?

Respondents were unsure about this answer. Approximately a quarter of respondents said between 50-100 litres per day. This could be roughly right depending on the number of people in the household. If you think of 7 litres per flush it all depends on how many times the toilet is used.

 

1. Are there any leaking taps or pipes in your home?

Nearly all respondents said ‘no’ to this question. I wonder if people have really checked about leaking taps or pipes. It’s very important as we know that a dripping tap at a rate of one drip per second can waste 10,000 litres of water a year!