97% of water on earth is not potable. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water and even from that, only one third is available for use.
Currently one in ten people have no access to clean water. People, mostly women, spend 200 million hours every day to fetch water for daily use. Over 800 children under 5 years of age die every day across the world from diarrhoea due to contaminated water and poor sanitation.Fifty percent of world’s population could be living in areas with scarcity of water by 2025.
World bodies and governments are working on plans to conserve water and provide safe water to all. But what can we, as average citizens, do to make a difference and save this precious resource?
Around 30% of water we use in our households can be saved by just taking small steps in our day-to-day life. Some of the direct benefits are –
- Direct saving on water bills.
- Prevents greenhouse gas emissions involved in water treatment and distribution.
- Reduction on soil saturation and thus extending the life of septic systems.
- Makes available incremental water for use by society as a whole
Easy steps to conserve water at home.
- Leaks – This is one of the unnoticed losses which can be easily addressed by maintenance of household plumbing and taps
- Overflow – This needs some difficult changes in habits but the effort is well worth it. Loss during brushing, shaving, washing utensils and vegetables a can be prevented by not keeping the tap running during these activities
- Optimise quantity – Installation of Dual Flush modes for low and high water need, choosing water conserving washing machines and dishwashers also helps.
- Water saving equipment – Water saving low flow aerator in shower heads and taps.
- Recycling water – Watering plants with water used for washing vegetables or grains.
- Water from RO purifier can be used to flush toilets.
- Water harvesting – Rainwater can be harvested to build up soil reserves.
So armed with these simple but effective measures, everyone can contribute in saving the environment and be a Hero.