Water Conservation at home, and in the way we live and consume, has taken on a new urgency in the last few years. One of the fundamental human needs, clean drinking water, can no longer be counted on to be available. Water shortages, polluted lakes, streams, and rivers have become the norm. Virtually every region in the US experienced a shortage of water in the last 5 years, according to an EPA study. Groundwater tables are being depleted at a rapid rate. And many municipal water distribution systems are inadequate to satisfy our hunger for water. Many cities impose limited outside irrigation for lawns and gardens to try and reduce water consumption.
Our current life style requires a lot of water. We can all fairly easily implement water conservation measures, once we know where all the water is used. The examples listed below give an idea of the water needed to grow food and produce some items that we take for granted:
- 1 cup of coffee: 37 gallons, just for the coffee beans
- 1 pound of potatoes: 108 gallons
- 1 slice of wheat bread: 11 gallons
- 1 pound beef: 1,860 gallons
- 1 cotton T-shirt: 713 gallons
- One sheet of 8.5x11 paper: 0.6 gallons for recycled paper, up to 8 gallons for new paper
The above list was found at "Waterfootprint.org" a great educational and highly informational resource on water.
Every single day we use up hundreds of gallons of water without being aware of it, because we do not see that water. As the table above indicates, the water we see go down the drain is a fraction of what each of us uses on a daily basis. Reducing the water required for producing our food, paper, clothing, etc is essential to having effective water conservation. First, we must be aware of it. Only then can we change how much and what we buy and consume.
For example, when we recycle paper, we not only save trees, we also conserve a lot of water. We must also learn to reduce our meat consumption. It used to be that 4 0z. of meat per day was sufficient. Today it is not unusual for someone to eat 16oz. of meat in one meal! Let's look at a typical day: Breakfast may include ham/bacon and eggs (around 200 gallons of water), a sandwich with meat for lunch (another 200 gallons) and finally spaghetti and meatballs for dinner (add at least 400 gallons). Meat requires an extraordinarily high amount of water, land, and energy.
Precious water is also wasted by the millions of gallons for irrigation. Many irrigation systems, both industrial-agricultural and residential, can be seen turned on in the heat of the day, with the sun beating down, when nearly all of the water will evaporate without it ever reaching the roots of the plants. Over-watering lawns wastes water and also results in a weakened lawn, because the plants will have shallow roots. That in turn makes them more susceptible to dry spells, requiring additional watering. And: Is a lush green lawn in an arid climate zone really necessary?
Even with all the efforts may of us are already making to conserve water by installing low flow shower heads and dual flush toilets, collecting rainwater, reducing the length of showers, etc., there is more to do. Humans, animals and plants require water to survive. It is critical that we begin conserving water immediately so that all living beings, humans, animals and plants, can survive. We all have to take responsibility and do what we can at home and as consumers. All of us can and must make choices on how much water we consume and how we can contribute towards water conservation.