DON’T WASTE WATER-
EVERY DROP IS PRECIOUS
EVERY DROP IS PRECIOUS
MOST
people have the habit of leaving the tap running freely when they brush their
teeth, do the dishes or even when they have to come out of the bathroom halfway
through a shower to answer the phone.Such
imprudence not only causes unnecessary water wastage but can also be costly
with faucet and water meter working over time.The
widely-held notion is that water is an inexhaustible resource. Four-fifth of
the planet is, after all, covered by water. Add this to the natural cycle of
rainfall, snowfall, rising sea level and even increased frequency of floods,
permanent water supply seems assured.But
the truth may not be so rosy. Given the high rate of wastage, water security is
becoming exponentially fraught.A
landmark UN Report has warned of an impending global water crisis due to
surging population growth, climate change, reckless irrigation and chronic
waste. Giving a grim assessment of the state of the planet’s freshwater,
especially in developing countries, the Report describes the outlook for coming
generations as worrisome, cautioning that while water adequacy can de-termine
prosperity and stability, lack of access to it helps drive poverty and
deprivation and breeds the potential for unrest and conflict.The
Third World Water Development Report paints an equally gloomy (albeit
realistic) picture. It points out that water is linked to crises of climate
change, energy, food supplies, prices and faltering financial markets, and
unless their links with water are addressed and water emergencies worldwide are
resolved, these other malaises may intensify and local water problems may
deteriorate, culminating in a global water crisis that could spark political
insecurity at various levels.
The
Report notes the situation will become even more critical with global population
growing annually by 80 million, 90 per cent of which in poorer countries. And
as yearly water demand is projected to grow by 64 billion cubic metres, supply,
if not properly managed, can reach the point of no return.Asia
– with its rapid industrial development and economic growth — is staring at a
deteriorating water crisis that threatens to curtail food production and exact
an increasingly heavy toll on the region’s economy.
The
Asian Development Bank (ADB) warns there is an urgent need to stop wasting
water to limit shortage. It faults weak enforcement of laws for degradation of
the region’s water quality, saying a despoliation of freshwater resources could
seriously upset Asia’s ecological balance and environmental sustainability. All
these will affect overall regional growth as current trends will lead to a 40
per cent gap between water demand and supply in Asia by 2030 when India would
have a 50 per cent water deficit and China a shortage of 25 per cent.Just
how much water does a person need to survive? In the local context, a study by
the Federation of Malaysian Consumers’ Association (Fomca) found the average
consumer needs only 80 litres a day, including three litres for drinking, to
sustain a reasonable quality of life. Its findings on wastage show almost 50
per cent of households rarely took action to fix leaks while 70 per cent did
not have dual-flush systems which could reduce 30 to 60 per cent of water
usage. Over 70 per cent did not use rainwater or recycled water (from the last
rinse of clothes) to flush toilets.Other
wasteful practices include not using controlled shower heads and not collecting
rainwater for gardening. And worse, 70 per cent of those surveyed are not
likely to reduce home water usage over the next three years.Sarawak
— even with abundant rivers and rainfall — is not immune to water shortage. Far
flung habitats frequently run dry during prolonged drought and water relief is
necessary to alleviate the problem.For
now, there are no plans to raise water tariffs in the state despite escalating
production costs. Roughly 80 per cent of the population now have clean water
supply. And by 2012, the state government aims to supply clean water to 90 per
cent of the population, Public Utility Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali
Hassan disclosed after the Water Safety Conference 2010.
It
is important though to point out that the status quo on tariffs should not be
misconstrued as a cart blanche for injudicious water usage. Quite the contrary,
there must be prudence even when there is abundance to avoid wastage and save
costs. While households must use water responsibly, the water authorities too
must be proactive in carrying repairs, especially plugging leaks. Dilly
dallying only serves to drive water revenue down the drain.Sustainable
water management with realistic pricing is one way to curb wastage but
ultimately, conservation and reuse of water, including recycled sewage, will be
the watchwords of the future.Water
is very important for us. Water covers around 2/3rd of earth's
surface but freshwater for drinking is very less. Earth's water sources will be
finished one day and we will suffer from acute shortage of water if we don't
conserve it. In our daily life, we are wasting water in some way or the other.
Here are some ways water is getting wasted and we have to become aware of:
1. Leaving the Water Running
While Doing Certain Tasks: When we are brushing teeth, washing our faces, washing
the dishes we often leave the water running. It is wasting much of water.
Therefore we should turn off the tap while not in use.
2. Using a Dishwasher: Washing dishes with
dishwasher wastes lot of water. We should run dishwasher only when it is full.
We have to use energy star qualified dishwasher for conserving water.
3. Showering and Shaving: A lot of people leave
water on while shaving. We have to turn the tap off, while apply conditioner on
hair or while filling the sink half.
4. Washing Cars: We should use bucket
rather than hose while washing our cars. If we wash our car in lawns then water
will be used for watering the lawn at the same time.
5. Leakage of Pipes: We have conduct regular
check of pipes, faucets and toilets. Small leakage also can waste much water in
whole day. If there is any such leaks, we have to repair it as soon as
possible.
6. Throwing Stuffs into
Toilets:
We should not throw stuffs like tissue paper, hair, insects and so on into
toilets. This will simply waste water used to flush them.
We can do a lot of things
to conserve water and at the same time save much money as well. We should buy
efficient water appliances like low-flow shower heads. We should buy water
treatment systems that prevent back-washing. Buying energy star qualified
products will help us save energy as well.
Prof. John Kurakar
Prof. John Kurakar
1 comment:
Very useful information. Thanks.
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