The Essential Truth About Water

 

 

 

Turn on your kitcthen tap for a glass of water and you get as much clean, fresh water as you want. But what if you just got a trickle, or worse yet, nothing at all?

It’s a problem for every one of the 6.6 billion people that live on this planet. Fresh water makes up just 3 percent of the world’s water supply. 

“There is a water crisis today. But the crisis is not about having too little water to satisfy our needs. It is a crisis of managing water so badly that billions of people – and the environment – suffer.

“Water is everybody’s business” was one the the key messages of the 2^nd World Water Forum.

Small changes that protect water supply and improve water quality

• Check all water-using appliances and equipment in your home for leaks. Running toilets, steady faucet drips, home water treatment units and outdoor sprinkler systems are common sources of leaks.
• Consider water-efficient landscaping in your  yard. 
• Replace old toilets. The major water use inside the home is toilet flushing. If your home was built in 1992 and you haven’t replaced your toilets since then, you probably could benefit from installing high-efficiency toilets that use 1.6 gallons or less per flush. A family of four can save between 14,000 and 25,000 gallons of water per year be making this change. 
• Don’t let the water run while shaving or brushing your teeth.
• Before pouring water down the drain, consider using it for other uses, such as watering plants. You can catch this water by placing a bucket in the shower or the sink.
• Operate the dishwasher only when completely full.
• Sweep driveways and sidewalks rather than hosing them off.
• When using a hose, control the flow with an automatic shutoff valve.
• Install low-flow shower head