The need to conserve water:
• The freshwater supply available for consumption is only about 3% of the total world supply of water. This means that if all of the world’s water is thrust into a cup, drinkable water would only be about half a teaspoon!
• More than one billion people in this planet do not have access to safe drinking water
• Dehydration (lack of water) will kill us faster than starvation (lack of food). Since the plants and animals we eat also depend on water, lack of it could cause both dehydration and starvation. The scenario gets worse. Water that looks drinkable can contain harmful elements, which could cause illness and death if ingested.
• One of the biggest users of freshwater is the agricultural industry. To produce 1 kg of wheat, we need about 1550 liters of water;
• Another big water user is the energy providers. The US uses more than 500 billion liters of freshwater water each day for to cool down electric power plants.
• By 2050, about 12,000 cubic kilometers of water will be required to feed the world’s growing population. This is equivalent to amount of water in Lake Superior, the topmost in the Great Lakes of United States.
• It is said that the third world war will be fought for water.
• Every country, big and small, is feeling the pressure of dwindling water supply. Some countries like Israel (where there is too little water) and the Netherlands (where there is too much water) are doing a good job in managing their water supplies. Other countries, including the US and other European countries are not as efficient.
• We shouldn’t leave the responsibility of saving water on our government agencies and policy makers alone. There are many ways wherein we can save water at home, business, farm, industries, etc.
And if that doesn’t impress you, by using water wisely, you can:-
• keep your water bills down
• make large savings on your energy bills for water heating
• reduce the risk of water restrictions
• reduce your impact on the environment
