Water

Water; you have it in different varieties, types and sizes. There is fresh water, but also salt water and even brackish water. Water is found in mountains, forests, marshes and in our soil as groundwater. But of course you also see water on the surface in rivers, seas, oceans and lakes. In our beautiful Geopark Schelde Delta, a river even forms the basis of our cooperation; the Scheldt as a blue thread through our area.

SDG 6 - Schoon water en sanitair

SDG 6

Access to clean water and sanitation are outlined in the sixth Sustainable Development Goal. This includes sustainable management of safe and affordable drinking water for all. But this goal also includes water other than the water we drink, namely the water in seas, rivers and lakes, for example. The latter is obviously very important for a Geopark based on the Scheldt. Goal 6 also describes that we should protect and where possible restore water-based ecosystems. Water quality should be improved by reducing pollution and stopping the discharge of hazardous materials. We should also all start using water more sustainably and efficiently by reusing wastewater, for example. This, SDG 6 writes, requires international cooperation.  We as a cross-border cooperation Geopark Schelde Delta aim to contribute to this.

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Luchtfoto Westerschelde (Sky Pictures)

Sustainable water use

Being sustainable with water sounds very nice but what does it mean?

  • Not polluting water: companies can do this by, for example, purifying their wastewater before discharging it. But you yourself can contribute to this by not using pesticides in your garden or balcony or not flushing medicines, contact lenses or wet wipes down the toilet.
  • More (re)use and capture rainwater: companies can do this in large quantities but you can also do this yourself on your roof or in a water tank connected to your drainpipe. Greening your garden or balcony also helps sink more rainwater into the ground.
  • Use high quality water only for the purposes for which it is required: this applies of course to companies that use drinking water for cooling purposes when they could do this with lower quality water. But you yourself can flush your toilet with rainwater. Or even wash your clothes with rainwater.
  • Using less water: you can easily do this yourself, read on!
Slikken en schorren van de Schelde aan de zijde Bornem/Weert. De overkant is Temse (gemaakt door Yoon Thoen)

Do it yourself!

Here are some tips on how to use less water yourself:

  • Wear your clothes more than once before putting them in the wash. In addition, you can save your clothes so you have a full washer, this way you only use the amount of water once. You can also do this with your dishes, use them more often and save them until the dishwasher is full.
  • Take a (shorter) shower instead of a bath and install a water-saving shower head.
  • Wash your car, bike or scooter with bucket and sponge instead of a garden hose.
  • Don't leave the tap running while brushing your teeth, shaving and soaping up when showering or washing your hands.
  • Water your garden only when it is really dry. Then do this in the morning before the sun is very bright and then do this once a week for 15 minutes instead of five minutes every day. This is also better for your plants.
  • Keep an eye on your water bill; unnecessarily high consumption can be a trigger for a leak. If so, make sure you fix that leaky faucet or other leak immediately.