How COVID-19 should change water use

Time to improve our habits, Matthew McCandless says.

Buoyed by an increased prevalence of lockdown-related good-news stories, such as tales of clearer Vancouver skies and Venetian canals, our general assumption is that the current limitations on human movement ultimately will result in a significant net positive effect for our environment.

Well, that’s only part of the story. Notably absent from much of this discussion, perhaps because of its perceived perennial ubiquity, especially in Canada, is our supply of fresh water.

With more time at home, our fresh water usage already is shifting, as municipal wastewater treatment plants work to adapt to the reduction in waste water flushing from offices and stores in downtown cores to increased

(and differently timed) usage in suburbs and residential areas.

That is on top of us all washing our hands on a regular basis, running the washing machine more regularly and cleaning our surfaces, cars and tending to our gardens with greater regularity. (Not to mention the potential impacts that our recent lifestyle adjustments may pose for the basic water supplies of already waterstressed countries.)

So as a concerned member of the general public, sequestered in your home, what can you do to reduce your impact on fresh water?

Saving water should always be a priority. While it might be tempting to run the washing machine more often, shower more than once a day, or hose down the garden just because you are at home, bear in mind how much water it uses and just use as much as you need.

Second, remember that whatever cleaning products you are now using will flush into waste water, and that waste-water treatment plants remove cleaning products and their ingredients with differing levels of efficacy.

Our fresh water usage already is shifting.

When it comes to killing the novel coronavirus, and reducing the burden on waste-water treatment plants, products that contain soaps, bleaches or alcohol can do an equally or sometimes better job than products containing more specialized disinfectants, or the still-not-fully-understood but greatly prevalent nanosilver. The latter two should be reserved for industrial or hospital use to protect both the environment and their availability.

Soaps won’t do the trick? Then stick to your run-of-the-mill detergents. While thankfully most domestic detergents are now phosphate-free (key to reducing algal blooms in lakes) with the exception of odd cases (such as LAS, or nonylphenols that admittedly are relatively rare now), most detergents are relatively easily degraded and are not found in large amounts after they pass through waste-water treatment plants.

Tempted by products containing antimicrobials? The first thing to understand is that most antimicrobials used in cleaning and personal-care products, such as the popular Triclosan, are designed to kill bacteria specifically. They will not work against viruses.

Furthermore, our waste-water treatment plants harness the power of micro-organisms to treat waste water. If concentrations of antimicrobials in the waste water entering treatment plants increase significantly, this could lead to reduced microbial activity in the plant and a loss of treatment efficacy. So, try to steer clear of those.

And one last thing. It might be tempting as you while the hours away at home to try your hand at a bit of domestic car maintenance. But be careful. While car-washing stations collect and treat the water properly before releasing it into the environment, when you wash your car on your driveway the dirty water (containing salt, motor oils, degreasers and other industrial detergents, such as wheel and brake cleaners) is collected in the storm drains and likely ends up in rivers untreated. So, stick to the car wash.

Much as the mitigation of the spread of the virus is dependant on individual lifestyle changes, so too is protection of fresh water at this time. By limiting your water use, choosing the right cleaning products, and disposing of them responsibly, you can feel secure in the knowledge that you are helping safeguard one of our country’s most precious resources: fresh water.

Matthew McCandless is executive director, IISD Experimental Lakes Area.