Water: Saving a Precious Resource

Every day, we use water from the taps in our homes, schools, or businesses for drinking, washing, and preparing food. Before that water reaches our taps, it is taken from lakes or rivers, filtered to remove solids like leaves and sand, treated with chemicals to remove bacteria and viruses, and then pumped to our taps over long distances. All of this requires large amounts of energy.

Threatened Resource

Our changing climate, the growing demands of our population and businesses, and the consequences of pollution mean that clean drinking water is a threatened and costly resource. The ecosystems that provide this water – our rivers, lakes, and streams – are also threatened when water resources are not used in a sustainable way. Sometimes, water that has been made safe for drinking is used for other purposes, such as flushing toilets, washing vehicles or cleaning windows. This means that lots of energy and chemicals are used unnecessarily. At Dublin Zoo, we have been exploring alternative water resources that can reduce our impact on Ireland’s precious water supplies. Once important resource is groundwater – the water that flows through the rocks and subsoils deep under our feet.

Groundwater Wells

At Dublin Zoo, we have groundwater wells that provide clean, natural water for some of our animal habitats. The next time you visit the Zoo, look at the waterfalls on the Kaziranga Forest Trail and in the Amur Tiger habitat. These features use groundwater.

Rainwater Loos

Dublin Zoo has also started collecting rainwater during wet weather, which is filtered to remove leaves and bugs, and then stored in tanks for flushing some of our toilets. The next time you are at the Orangutan House, look out for the sign beside the toilets there telling you that the loos are flushed with rainwater!