Water conservation has become essential even where water seems abundant because our water resources are finite, and they are getting smaller every year. Moreover, humans cannot make water artificial and have to depend on the water available on the planet earth. Water conservation also helps prevent water pollution in nearby lakes, rivers, and local watersheds. Conserving water also prevents greenhouse gas emissions associated with treating and distributing water. Conserving water can also extend the life of our septic system by reducing soil saturation and reducing pollution due to leaks.
Water scarcity is felt all over the world and everybody seems concerned to conserve water. It is said that next world war may be fought on the water crisis. Everybody blame each other for the misuse/wastage of water and pin hopes on the administration to fight with the water crisis. My perspective is that the life style of our old generation people so called un-civilized was more water sensitive with every best effort towards conservation of water. Changing life styles with modernization is leading towards huge water wastage and technology is expected to replace human in conserving water. Looking for round the clock activities of an individual, it becomes very obvious that we are leading a excessive or undesirable water consuming life styles. From tooth brushing, shaving, bathing, cleaning of clothes, cleaning utensils and toileting all such daily and essential human activities have turned out to be more and more water consuming or water wasting. Earlier people used to perform all these activities with minimum or optimum use of water. If we calculating for guess only the use of water for flushing toilets in our homes when every individual make use of toilet for urination or latrine, it will come out to be a huge amount of water being wasted for just to avoid smell in the house. Though many technological devices are being developed to minimize the water wastage but human mindset and control on water use can play a great role towards contribution. Moreover, this impact will be more if every individual think on the lines of water conservation. We should not take the availability of water for granted and should try to make its minimum or optimum use.
It has become very important to conserve water at individual level. As we have learnt that charity begins at home, similarly, contribution towards society’s welfare needs to get started from one’s home. We just need to be cautious in our regular day to day activities wherein usage of water is involved. This means use water when it is required otherwise turn it off. Some points to consider can be summarized as:
- Turn the water tap off while brushing, open only when cleaning of mouth is required.
- Solution of water with phenol or soap which is used for cleaning the floor of the house, instead of pouring the dirty water into drain and wasting it. Use that bucket of water for cleaning toilet so that clean and fresh water does not get waste in its cleaning.
- The water which is used for washing clothes and the remains of the dirty water is wasted without making optimum utility out the same. That detergent solution can be used for cleaning the backyard of house and drainage attached to house.
- We generally feel fresh after having shower but in between tonnes of water get wasted when multiplied to month or a year of shower. We must use one or maximum two buckets of water for taking bath so that unnecessary flow of water from shower can be controlled.
- Gardening brings out freshness in our surroundings. Use of watering bucket or sprinklers for gardening will stop water wastage.
- Place a cistern displacement device in toilet cistern to reduce the volume of water used in each flush.
- Always use full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher.
- Fix a dripping tap.
- Install a water butt to drainpipe and use it to water the plants, clean car and wash windows.
- Use tap water instead of bottled water.
- Install a water meter.
- Invest in water-efficient goods and devices.