Humans need water, plants need water & even animals need water. Water is needed for cleaning, for cooking & for bathing. From simple needs, such as extinguishing thirst to complex generation of electricity, water is required almost everywhere. Although 70% of our Earth is water, only a minor percentage of it is clean & potable water usable for humans. Governments are continuously dealing with water shortage issues to serve the masses. So, what is the cost of wasting water?
We all know the law of energy. Energy cannot be destroyed, but can only be changed from one form to another. What if we could apply the same law to water ? Instead of letting our water flow into gutters and waiting for the authorities to recycle and supply it to us again, what if we could manage our own water ? Cutting back on the use of water is important to conserve water, but there can be ways with which you can collect water and recycle it to save it even more.
Here are a few things that we can do at home to conserve water –
- Stop the habit of washing vegetable under a tap. Instead fill up a large vessel to wash all the veggies at one go and the same water can be used to water your plants.
- Another useful trick is to recycle dirty aquarium water to prepare fertilizers for your plants. (Aquaponics)
- Do not use a hose to clean your vehicles, instead switch to a bucket of soapy water. This monitors & limits the amount of water being used for washing.
- Take bucket baths instead of using showers. Nearly 7 to 10 gallons of water is lost down the drain when you shower. When you take baths instead, all the water saved can be used to water your lawns, wash your car and so on.
- When you water your flower pots, excess water usually drains out. Place plastic buckets under the flower pots to capture this excess water and reuse it in your garden.
Take steps to stop leakage of water whenever you see it. It may be just a tiny drip leakage. Stop it, from taps or even from tankers. When people in one part of world are dying due to lack of water, let us take conscious efforts to avoid wastage of water. Each drop matters!
Inputs from Ancy Albert
