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For many of us, when we are thirsty, we simply go to the tap and get a cool, clean glass of water. We’ve got clean water to cook, bathe, and use the restroom and to maintain our homes. But for almost 800 million people in the world, water is a scarce resource.
March 22 is World Water Day. The UN decided in 1993 to have an annual day to bring awareness to the plight facing millions of people. As the world population grows, so will the need for clean water, so it is critical to learn how to leverage our existing resources so that supply can keep up with demand.
The Water Crisis we Face
According to the Water Project, 1 in 9 people don’t have access to fresh water; 1 in 3 don’t have access to a toilet. The real problem with water scarcity is how it impacts a community on all levels. Without proper sanitation and water treatment, water borne illnesses kill many on a daily basis.
Water scarcity also impacts local economies, as it sets a cycle of poverty in motion. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where the water crisis is dire, people have to walk for hours every day just to reach a water source, which is often polluted. In most households, this job falls to the women, which means that girls typically drop out of school at a young age to assist, limiting job and educational opportunities.
Although the situation is serious, there is much that we can do about it.
Check Your Plumbing
A leak in your plumbing is more than just a nuisance; it can waste a significant amount of water. For instance, did you know that a leaky toilet can waste in the area of 200 gallons a day? To see if you’ve got a leak, remove the toilet tank lid and put in a dye tablet. Don’t flush. Wait about 15 minutes. If the color has made its way into the bowl, then you have a leak to fix. Often a leak is caused by a faulty flapper, which is a quick DIY fix.
If you think you may have leaks elsewhere in your pipes, or if you have a stubborn faucet or showerhead that won’t stop dripping, call your plumber to fix it as soon as you can.
Daily Water Conservation Tips
The sooner you change how you use water, the sooner that you can make a difference.
Did you know that flushing the toilet uses a whole lot of water? Here are some tips on how you can reduce the amount of water you need to flush. When waiting for your shower to heat up, collect the water in a bucket and pour it in the toilet prior to flushing. Don’t use the toilet like a garbage can either.
Keep a jug of water in your fridge so that you don’t have to wait for the water to cool to get a drink. Spot clean your floor, rather than filling a mop bucket. Don’t run water to defrost food or to wash veggies. Reserve cooking liquid from pasta to water your plants.
Plant your garden in the spring, when you need less water to get it going. Adjust your lawn mower so that the blades are higher, which means that your lawn needs less water.
Leaky plumbing causes waste and causes you to lose money. Why not get it fixed today? Call Reddick & Sons, Inc. in Manassas, VA at (703) 348-9881.