Water is arguably the most important commodity in the world, being one of the fundamental requirements for life. It is currently depleting at an alarming rate and is quickly on its way to becoming a luxury, with over 1 billion people without access to clean water resources.
Due to the sheer prominence of the role water plays in our lives, people tend to take this important source as granted. However, it must be considered that clean water is an exhaustible water resource with limited resources.
Bangalore is among the most vulnerable cities in the world to be hit by water-scarcity and is projected to be the 2nd city in the world to run out of water resources, after Cape Town in South Africa. Several other cities around the world are also trying to conserve their existing water reserves to avoid suffering from water scarcity.
Some of the simplest ways to conserve water usage are listed below:
- Turn off the water faucet while brushing and shaving
- Take baths instead of showers– A shower for 10 minutes uses roughly 90 liters. Taking a bucket bath reduces water consumption considerably
- Reuse different sources of water– The water used to clean vegetables can also be used to water plants. Water dripping from AC sources can also be used in the same manner.
- Use water-efficient taps– Water-efficient taps save considerably more water as compared to normal taps for the same duration of usage
- Check for leaks in taps and water pipes– A water leakage contributes to the wastage of multiple liters of water every hour
- Use dual-flush toilet– Every toilet wastes 5 to 7 liters of water per flush. A dual-flush toilet allows you to use less water to flush liquid waste and more water to flush solid waste on pressing the appropriate buttons.
- Minimize usage of RO water purifiers– An RO purifier purifies just 25% of the incoming water, while 75% of it is gone to waste.
- Reuse RO wastewater– The water discarded from RO water purifiers can be reused for washing utensils or mopping the floor.
- Use efficient washing machines and reduce the number of empty washes just for a few clothes
- Wash your car using a bucket instead of pipes– This drastically reduces the amount of water wasted in washing a car.
- Practice rainwater harvesting– Rainwater Harvesting helps in conserving an important source of water- rain. A rainwater harvesting system can be set up to effectively harvest water.
Such measures must be taken to preserve this fundamental source of life, as water plays a bigger role in our lives than we realize. It is an omnipresent source whose effects will only be realized in situations of the water crisis.
As responsible citizens, we are bound to do our part by simply following these simple steps, since the value of water is well known to one and all. Following these steps not only help in conserving water and energy, but also saves money in the form of water usage bills.
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