Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1322287
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 23 DECEMBER 2020 NEWS THE festive period is an impor- tant time for many people who come together over the holi- days. As much as we'd like for things to be "business as usual" this festive season, planning for Christmas 2020 requires a lit- tle more work to keep everyone happy and healthy. While Christmas will certain- ly look different this year, that doesn't mean you can't cele- brate Christmas safely during COVID. We must each contin- ue to take personal responsibil- ity to protect our loved ones. Undoubtedly, it's easy to fo- cus on the convenience rather than how much waste is also being created. With parents taking more time off and kids on holiday school, the extra cooking and festive baking, our taps, toilets, dishwashers and washing machines really do end up working overtime adding a big surge in season- al water consumption and the knock-on effect on our water resources and utility bills. Here are some easy to imple- ment water conservation tips, which will go a long way to us- ing your water more wisely and which, can be put in place for the long term: • Change your showerhead to a water-efficient one and reduce by half your consumption of water when showering; • Turn off the water while shampooing your hair; • Fix leaky taps and al- ways close them proper- ly– even a slow drip will waste litres in a day; • Make sure your dish- washer is completely full before hitting the start button and don't use the drying function on warm- er days, when it can air dry; • Dishwashers typically use less water than washing dishes by hand so make sure you stack it well be- fore switching on; • Wash your clothes in cold water to save water and energy and get those stubborn stains out be- fore putting anything in your washing machine; • While you wait for hot water, collect the running colder water and use it to water plants. Put buckets under drains to catch rain water for your garden; • Water your garden when the sun goes down or before it even goes up to reduce losses of water by evaporation; • When watering plants use a watering can to make sure the water goes where it's needed; • Don't run the tap when washing dishes. Plug- ging the drain, filling the sink with soapy water, and scrubbing and rins- ing from there can reduce the amount of water you use cleaning all those hol- iday pots, pans, and dish- es; • Save water (and make that pile of laundry dis- appear a little faster) by only washing and drying full loads every time and using the appropriate set- ting on your machine to the size of the load you're washing; • If you're stuck for some inspiration for last min- ute gift ideas, then do look around at the water efficient gadgets available on the market. Tap aer- ators and water efficient showerheads are small and reasonably priced and perfect stocking fill- ers. Waste less water during this year's festivities For more information you may visit our website; bca.org.mt/careers Jobsplus 699/2020 - Reference Number BCAHR 003/2020 DIRECTOR BUILDING CODE, POLICY & EU AFFAIRS CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Applications should be sent by noon on Wednesday, 30th December 2020, via email on: recruitment@bca.org.mt. Jobsplus 342/2020 - Reference Number BCAHR 005/2020 SENIOR MANAGER COMPLIANCE & ENFORCEMENT Jobsplus 697/2020 - Reference Number BCAHR 016/2020 SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR Jobsplus 343/2020 - Reference Number BCAHR 010/2020 POLICY RESEARCH OFFICER