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2011 Canadian Water Attitudes Study: Three Quarters of Canadians
Using Toilet as Garbage Can
Average six to 20 litres of clean fresh water wasted with
every flush; most Canadians have "no concept" of
the real value of water, says UN water expert
View in PDF format
TORONTO, MARCH 21, 2011— While the majority
of Canadians (55 per cent) continue to believe that fresh
water is the country's most important natural resource and
say they are trying reasonably hard to conserve it (78 per
cent), almost three quarters (72 per cent) admit to flushing
items down the toilet that they could dispose of in another
manner. Left-over food, hair, bugs and cigarette butts lead
the list of items discarded in toilets across the nation,
wasting an average of six to 20 litres of fresh, clean water
with each flush.
According to the fourth annual Canadian Water Attitudes Study,
commissioned by RBC and Unilever and endorsed by the Canadian
Partnership Initiative of the United Nations Water for Life
Decade, Albertans (83 per cent) are most likely to admit to
flushing items they could dispose of in another manner, and
Quebecers least likely (65 per cent). And young Canadians,
18 to 34, are much more likely than those aged 55 plus to
engage in the offending behaviour (84 per cent vs. 63 per
cent, respectively).
Yet, Canadians' knowledge of the quality of the water in
their toilet, and the volume wasted, is high. Eight in 10
(80 per cent) know the water in their toilet is just as clean
as the water coming out of their faucet , and three quarters
(76 per cent) are aware that nearly half (45 per cent) of
water used in the home is flushed down the toilet.
"This data highlights, once again, that Canadians are
not making the connection between their personal water use
and the true value of water," says Bob Sandford, EPCOR
Chair, Canadian Partnership Initiative of the UN Water for
Life Decade. "They claim to care about conserving it,
yet knowingly engage in water wasting activities, including
using fresh, clean water to dispose of garbage. Canadians
need to understand that water is a finite resource and there
are significant social and economic implications related to
wasting it."
Canadians use, on average, 329 liters of water a day . According
to the survey, nearly seven in 10 (67 per cent) Canadians
underestimated this amount. Canadian's water wasting habits
such as leaving the water running when doing the dishes (46
per cent) and hosing down the driveway (17 per cent) are contributing
to high water usage.
Canadians don't know what they
pay for water
According to the study, Canadians are in the dark when it
comes to the cost of water. While six in 10 (61 per cent)
admit they do not know how much their household currently
pays for water, they actually have a strong opinion about
its cost: seven in 10 (70 per cent) believe that the unknown
price is high enough to ensure water is treated as a valuable
resource.
"Water is a real bargain in Canada, which is another
reason Canadians have no concept of its value," says
Sandford. "Compared to other developed nations, Canadians
pay very little to have water delivered to their homes. In
France, water costs four times more, and in Germany, almost
seven times more. Not surprisingly, average daily domestic
water use in these countries is less than half of what it
is in Canada. Until Canadians make the connection between
personal use of water and its true value, our water wasting
habits will continue."
2011 Canadian Water Attitudes Study:
Additional Themes /Regional Trends/Tracking Data
Following are additional highlights from the 2011 Canadian
Water Attitudes Study, which has tracked Canadians perceptions
and attitudes towards water quality and conservation for the
past four years.
Canadians try a bit harder to save electricity than
water
- Only four in 10 (40 percent) Canadians make the connection
between water and electricity, understanding that it requires
energy to treat and pump water; one-third (32 per cent)
don't think at all about the connection
- Nine in 10 (86 per cent) Canadians say they try at least
reasonably hard to conserve electricity, while only eight
in 10 (78 per cent) say they try at least reasonably hard
to conserve water
Confidence in Canada's drinking water growing
- Canadians' level of confidence in the safety and quality
of Canada's drinking water has increased significantly over
the past two years, from 72 per cent in 2009 to 86 per cent
in 2011; confidence is highest in British Columbia, at 92
per cent, and lowest in Quebec, at 69 per cent
- Nine in 10 Canadians (91 per cent) who drink tap water
in their home are confident in its safety and quality; confidence
is highest in Ontario at 97 per cent per cent, and lowest
in Quebec at 83 per cent
- When it comes to the source of water they "typically"
drink, almost half (48 per cent) drink water directly from
their tap; one-third (28 per cent) drink filtered water;
two in 10 (21 per cent) drink bottled water and 14 per cent
drink water from a large-jug cooler
Confidence in Canada's long-term supply of water has
also Increased
- Canadians' level of confidence that Canada has enough
freshwater for the long-term has increased over the past
two years, from 70 per cent in 2009 to 77 per cent in 2011;
confidence is highest in British Columbia, at 84 per cent;
Quebecers are disproportionately less confident at 63 per
cent
Canadians increasingly concerned about the quality
of water in Canada's lakes
- Almost nine in 10 (87 per cent) Canadians are concerned
about the quality of water in lakes where they swim; Quebecers
are most concerned (90 per cent), followed by Ontarians
and Maritimes (both 88 per cent)
- Most Canadians (63 per cent) believe that the quality
of their swimming lakes is getting worse.
About the Survey
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted
between January 10-17, 2011, on behalf of RBC and Unilever
and sponsored by the UN Water for Life Decade. A sample of
2,066 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed
online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics
and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of
the adult population according to Census data and to provide
results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey
with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100%
response rate would have an estimated margin of error of ±2.2
percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results
would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada
been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to
other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage
error, and measurement error.
About Canadian Partnership Initiative in support of the
United Nations Water for Life Decade
The United Nations Water for Life Decade is a globally proclaimed
decade for action on water quality and availability issues.
While each country in the world will be focusing on its own
water quality and availability issues within the larger context
of the global fresh water situation, the Canadian initiative
has been defined by a nation-wide public and private sector
partnership aimed at identifying and responding to regional
and national water issues. The United Nations Water for Life
initiative in Canada exists to put Canadian water issues into
a global context. The Canadian United Nations Water for Life
partnership initiative is housed, and has its research home
in the Western Watersheds Climate Research Collaborative at
the Biogeosciences Institute at the University of Calgary.
About RBC
RBC is one of North America's leading diversified financial
services companies and among the largest banks in the world,
as measured by market capitalization. It employs approximately
79,000 people who serve more than 18 million personal, business,
public sector and institutional clients through offices in
more than 50 countries. RBC is recognized as one of the world's
financial, social and environmental leaders and is listed
on the 2010-2011 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and
the DJSI North American Index. RBC has been named one of Canada's
Greenest Employers, one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers,
one of Canada's 50 Most Socially Responsible Corporations
and one of the Best Workplaces in Canada. In 2010, RBC contributed
$130 million to community causes worldwide, through donations
and sponsorships. The RBC Blue Water Project is a 10-year,
$50 million philanthropic commitment to supporting organizations
that protect watersheds and ensure access to clean drinking
water. Since 2007, RBC has committed over $27 million to more
than 350 organizations worldwide working in this area. RBC
is a sponsor of Canada Water Week and Water: the Exhibition
at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum. For more information, visit
www.rbc.com/bluewater.
About Unilever Canada
Unilever works to create a better future every day. Our products
make small but important differences to the quality of people's
everyday lives. Unilever has an established reputation for
sustainability and has been named the #1 company in the Food
& Beverage sector by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index
for 12 consecutive years. We are growing our business in a
way that helps improve people's health and well-being, reduces
environmental impact and enhances livelihoods. Each day, around
the world, we serve over two billion consumers. In Canada,
the brand portfolio includes icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben
& Jerry's, Breyers, Degree, Dove personal care products,
Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Q-Tips, Skippy,
Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding
brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group
of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities
where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 1,600
people across Canada. For more information, visit www.unilever.ca
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For further information, or to arrange an interview, please
contact:
Tiffany
Shiu, Hill & Knowlton, 416-413-4744
Mary Warner,
Hill & Knowlton, 416-413-4761
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