Free water-saving devices for UAE homes

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates in cooperation with environmental NGOs have launched a national campaign to reduce water wastage, they estimate to be 250 liters per day per person or almost half of estimated daily consumption. The UAE has one of the world’s highest consumption rates per person with an average of 550 liters per person a day.

To reduce wastage, the government is providing free of charge water saving devices to 55,000 households, 2,750 mosques, 500 schools and 2,000 public or commercial buildings. The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi will install water saving devices in 60,000 buildings in the emirate. The campaign urges consumers to reduce consumption by avoiding leaving taps running while brushing teeth, shaving or washing dishes, limiting showers to five minutes and using a bucket and sponge to wash cars rather than a hose pipe. The campaign is also designed to reduce the UAE’s dependence on desalination, which provides virtually all of the UAE’s drinking water and accounts for 36 percent of the country’s carbon emissions.