5 WAYS WE ARE WASTING WATER
Posted on Nov 7, 2015 at 07:39 PM
Most of the major cities in India have in the past (and a few even currently are) experienced some level of water crisis. Fuelled by exponential increase in urban population and climate change, the shortage problems we are witnessing presently is just the beginning. Leading scientists have painted a dismal picture of the times to come. In this scenario therefore, wastage of water is, if not a legal, is a moral crime. Some very common everyday habits of people lead to a major wastage of the water band and the irony is that they are not aware of the exact action to be taken. Here are some situations where there is a scope for improvement.
Leaving water running
Let us begin with the one that is the easiest to avoid. Most of us leave the tap open in the bathroom while brushing our teeth or shaving, keep the shower on while we scrub and soap the body. This common habit may lead to a huge quantity of water going down the drain. Closing the tap when not in use is a prudent thing to do.
Car wash with a hose pipe
A hose pipe is commonly used to wash cars and other vehicles which leads to a lot of wastage of water. People may carelessly leave the hose running while they scrub stains off their car which may result in a wastage exceeding 500 litres! Washing your car with a bucket and sponge is a better idea. It is great exercise and saves a lot of water as well. So, drop that hose!
Taking long showers
Long showers are something which most of us are used to. But can you imagine that spending more than 5 minutes under the shower consumes up to 38 Litres of water? Opt for a bucket bath instead; it helps speed up your morning routine and at the same time saves precious water.
Yards don’t need a bath
There are better ways to clean up your yard and patio than to shoot jets of water from a hose at the dirt. Doing this on a daily or weekly basis wastes thousands of litres of water which can be used for other purposes. Invest in a leaf blower if there are trees around your property and resort to a simple sweeping to clean the yard. You can save the hose for when you actually need water to do the job.
Ignoring leaks around the house
It is estimated that up to 30% of the water supplied to a city is wasted due to leakages. If you see or hear a tap drip, stop it. Those little drops of water add up and at the end of the day will amount to litres of water wasted. It is advisable to have a water meter installed to monitor the leakages. A change in the meter reading even when water is not being used lets you know about a leak.
By making these small changes in our everyday lives, not only can we save large amounts of water but also feel proud on being an aware and prudent citizen!