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It’s one of the simplest changes you can make in your daily routine—and one of the most overlooked. Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth saves water, energy, and money. It’s a tiny habit with a massive environmental impact.
This easy step supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water for all.
Why It Matters
- A running tap can waste up to 6 liters (1.5 gallons) of water per minute.
- If you brush twice a day for two minutes with the tap running, you could waste over 8,700 liters (2,300 gallons) of water per year.
- Freshwater is a limited resource—2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries.
Take the Tap-Off Challenge
Here’s how to start:
- Wet your toothbrush, then turn off the tap.
- Brush for two minutes without water running.
- Turn the tap back on only to rinse.
Why This Supports SDG 6
Water is essential to life, and simple actions can protect it. Turning off the tap while brushing is easy to adopt, costs nothing, and saves a vital resource every single day.
So tomorrow morning, and every morning after—tap off, brush on. Your smile stays bright, and so does the planet.