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Water saving challenge

17.03.2021

Water is not endless. Clean water is a dwindling natural resource and water resources are unevenly distributed. Finnish person uses an average of 155 liters of water a day, when a global average is 22 liters/person. Drinkable water is also consumed for many things other than drinking or cooking, such as doing dishes, laundry or taking a shower.

Energy saving can directly reflect in housing costs. In addition to money, the pursuit of energy efficiency saves the environment as well as improves indoor air conditions and living comfort. Energy and water costs are typically 30-40% of a housing company’s maintenance costs. Your own consumption habits also have an effect: the effect of residents’ consumption habits on the housing company’s consumption level is +/- 5%.

POAS reduces water consumption by various means, such as installing water saving components in the water fixtures of our apartments. Current standard showers’ water flows with the speed of 12 liters/minute, but older models or large rain showers can flow even 20 liters in a minute. Shortening your showering time by few minutes can save tens of liters of water per day.

Tenants can get a shower coach from POAS office to measure time spent in the shower. Shower coach is a hourglass that you can attach on the wall of your shower. Sand flows for 4 minutes. 

Report leaking water fixtures

Leaking water fixtures, such as toilet seat, water taps or pipes, increase water consumption in your building. Sometimes a leak can be almost unnoticeable and therefore incur significant costs before the issue is located and repaired. So that increased water bill would not increase your rent, we are kindly asking you to locate the leaking water fixtures.

How to locate leaks

  • Observe the toilet seat: do you notice purling sound or water surface ripples? These can be signs of leaking fixture.
  • You can also conduct a test with toilet paper. Place a piece of toilet paper inside the toilet seat on the back wall, or under a water tap in a dry sink. If the piece of paper gets unmistakably wet, the water fixture is leaking.
  • Report leaks to POAS by filling out a Notice of defects

Thank you for helping us to reduce water consumption and take care of the environment.