Water Wars

There’s an old saying: “You never miss the water till the well runs dry.” Much of the world lives on less than 4 gallons of water a day. Here in the U.S. we use approximately 100 gallons of water per person per day. For statistical information and other excellent information about this issue please visit the World Water Council. I must admit I am shocked by how much we in the U.S. use. Check out this site for the statistics.

Have you heard about Orme, a town in Tennessee, that only has running water for three hours per day? Check out this news story. And it's not just there: South Florida could be next because of low river levels. Check out this news story.

It is way past time we started to treat this life-giving resource with respect. Here’s some ways you can reduce the amount of water you use EVERY day:

• Don’t let water drip from a faucet. A dripping faucet can waste 20 gallons per day. I’m not just talking about in your own home either: if you are in a public bathroom and a tap is dripping or running all you have to do is turn it off.
• Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth. Guys, don’t run the water while you are shaving – just fill the sink bowl with about an inch of water to use to rinse your razor.
• Run the dishwasher or washing machine only when full. If you need to replace either of those appliances, look for the Energy Star label. Not only will you save electricity, but water too. Consider a front loading washing machine, they wash your clothes better, and use less water and soap in the process.
• Take shorter showers. Depending upon the type of shower head you have you are using between 5 to 10 gallons of water a minute.
• If the yard doesn’t need watering, don’t water it. Once or twice a week should be more than enough.
• If you have older, high water usage toilets take a plastic water bottle and fill it with water or sand. Place that in the tank of the toilet to reduce the amount of water you use every time you flush. When you can, replace the old toilets with low water use toilets. They work just as well and use much less water.
• Here are some excellent sites for many more suggestions: Water Conservation Tips, 100 Water Saving Tips, 25 Ways to Save Water at Home
  

What are the alternatives? Remember New Orleans after Katrina? Now imagine it has been weeks since you’ve had running water, you’re thirsty, dirty, your family needs fresh water. What would you do? Here’s a story from the BBC on the looming water crisis.

Yes, these are hard truths. But we all need to work NOW to prevent water wars from tearing humanity apart. Every gallon of water that we save is a gallon that does not get removed from our shrinking water supply.

One final statistic for you: 97.5% of all the water on Earth is salt water, which leaves only 2.5% as fresh water. Here’s where I got this information.