World Water Day: The Importance of the World’s Water

Every year on March 22, we celebrate World Water Day (WWD). This is a day that acknowledges the importance of fresh water and raises awareness of the need to take action towards protecting this vital and limited resource. Water is life; people, animals, and plants alike all depend upon water to function—its protection impacts us all. Here in Toronto, a city uniquely enriched with river systems, including the Humber River and Don River, which stream into Lake Ontario, WWD reminds us to pay special attention and safeguard our waterways.

These waterways, a significant part of Canada’s biodiversity, are home to freshwater ecosystems and habitats, including wetlands, caves, swamps, floodplains, rivers, salt pans, estuaries, and lakes.

Did You Know? Canada boasts the most lakes in the world.It’s estimated that there are about 879,800 lakes in Canada, a staggering number that means the country holds 62% of all the lakes in the world or 20% of the world’s surface freshwater.
With such a large supply of such a critical resource, Canada has a big responsibility to protect freshwater ecosystems.

Challenges That Water Faces

According to the World Wildlife Fund, various human activities—including urbanization, agriculture, energy demands (e.g., construction of dams), and pollution—threaten freshwater health conditions and conservation efforts. These are further exacerbated by climate change, which impacts freshwater ecosystems and wildlife (e.g., melting glaciers, rising sea levels, etc.).

Water pollution in Toronto is a major challenge. Every day, harsh chemicals and contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, cleaning products, heavy metals, and various toxic substances, including lead and mercury, are flushed down drains and sinks. Although treatment plants can remove many contaminants by treating wastewater, much is still released back into the environment.

The biggest challenge here is a lack of awareness and data deficiencies that help us understand how human activities are impacting freshwater ecosystems; in order to protect our freshwater ecosystems, we first need to understand them. From individual citizens to policymakers to corporations to scientists, access to accurate freshwater data is crucial in order to make the necessary changes. 

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Toronto’s wildlife, from frogs to fish to dragonflies, all depend on clean water in creeks, rivers, and ponds. However, Toronto receives increased amounts of rain each year, and the threat of flooding is growing due to climate change and water drainage from buildings, roads, parking lots, and construction sites all trickling into our waterways. Part of this occurs because some of Toronto’s stormwater infrastructure is outdated. There are combined sewer systems where stormwater and sanitary sewers all run into one pipe, meaning that during heavy rains, these sewers overflow into our waterways. So, beyond polluting water, sewage may also end up in our water systems.

Toronto is one of the 43 areas of concern related to the Great Lakes. As mentioned earlier, one of the major reasons is the lack of understanding of the negative impacts of human actions/decisions. However, human actions/decisions– even on the small, individual level– can make tremendously positive impacts as well. The best way to start is to learn how:

Dos and Don’ts

In celebration of World Water Day, here are a couple of actionable steps you can take to make a difference in our community:

  1. Practice Water Conservation at Home:
    • Be mindful of water usage:
      • Don’t keep the water running when brushing your teeth or washing dishes by hand.
      • Water lawns early in the morning to avoid evaporation and avoid overwatering.
      • Try to use the laundry machine and dishwasher only when full. If running a smaller load, try to match the setting on the appliance.
      • Rather than hosing down sidewalks, try sweeping them.
    • Install water-efficient appliances:
      • Dishwasher, washing machine, toilets & faucets.
    • Here are some more tips from the City of Toronto
  1. Help Limit Toxins Getting In Our Waterways:
    • Care for your lawn with compost, not fertilizers (TRCA tips on lawn care).
    • Keep all substances out of street drains as they lead right into our lake:
      • Never pour paints, oils, detergents or other liquids down street drains.
      • Use commercial car washes rather than washing your car at home.
      • If you would rather wash your car yourself, try to dispose of the wastewater in a sink or toilet or wash on porous paving so that the residue, soaps & chemicals don’t flow directly into our sewers.
    • Be careful when using road salts:
      • Road salts increase the salinity of our waterways, hurting aquatic plants, animals & our ecosystem.
      • Consider using alternative de-icing methods such as sand or gravel.
      • If using road salts, please use them prudently and not excessively.
  1. Get Involved in Local Conservation Initiatives:
    • Attend local events:
      • Plan your own shoreline litter clean-up with friends.
      • Register yourself and your friends at a City of Toronto clean-up event.
      • Engage in citizen science efforts.
    • Educate your community:
      • Share this post and any other resources you come across on water conservation with your friends and family members.

It Is Time to Take Action

In efforts to preserve both clean water sources for accessible, societal use and improve freshwater quality for aquatic ecosystems, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change recently pledged more than $11.7 million to support the Ontario Land Trust Alliance in order to conserve threatened wetlands, grasslands and forests. Additionally, more than $850,000 was announced to support several projects with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority focused on restoring the Great Lakes. 

While governmental action is mandatory to conserve water, protecting our freshwater and building more accessibility to safe, sanitary water also relies on each individual to take action. Advocating for your local water system by educating yourself on the importance of water and being aware of what not to do, like pouring chemical liquids in street drains, are all vital to upholding Toronto’s water system and anywhere else in the world. 

With World Water Day upon us, now is the time to be more aware of how you use your water at home and how you treat the water found in rivers and lakes. You can explore how Toronto will celebrate WWD and join in on various events hosted by environmental organizations, such as a TFN nature walk that takes you through an array of aquatic ecosystems in Toronto or TFN’s virtual talks that inform individuals about water-related issues and solutions.

Besides participating in hosted events, you can email your municipal councillor and have your say on Toronto’s water system or even plan your own shoreline clean-up. Spreading the word by sharing this post and donating to organizations, like TFN, that protect nature reserves and freshwater spanning across Toronto are other ways to show support for World Water Day.

Lucia, Faridah, Nicholas, Jessica – TFN Advocacy Team Members

Toronto Field Naturalists wishes to acknowledge this Land through which we walk. For thousands of years, the Land has been shared by the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe. Toronto is situated on the Land within the Toronto Purchase, Treaty 13, the traditional and treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is also part of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum, a covenant agreement between Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Wendat peoples and allied nations to peaceably share the land and all its resources. Today, the Land is home to peoples of numerous nations. We are all grateful to have the opportunity to continue to care for and share the beauty of this Land.