Cutting Down on Water

We may not always realize it, but fresh water is a rare occurrence in the world we live in. In effect, fresh water makes up only about 2.5% of the Earth’s water resources. Of that 2.5%, between 1.75% and 2% is under the form of glaciers, ice and snow, meaning that only less than 0.75% of the world’s total water resources actually is available for immediate human consumption. And of course, most of this tiny percentage exists within developed countries, whose inhabitants often inadvertently forget that their easy access to fresh water is a privilege and that they should attach importance it by making daily efforts to cut down on their consumption.

Scary stats

In the United States, an average family of four can use up to 400 gallons of water per day.  In fact, the United States comes first on the list of the countries where domestic water use per capita is the highest, with consumption averaging 382 litres per person, per day. Canada comes second with 343 litres per person while European countries seem to use much less: an Italian approximately uses 250 litres per day while a French uses 150. Although water consumption is necessarily correlated with countries’ level of development, we can see that significant differences exist within nations that have comparable living conditions, suggesting that cultural practices and codes also affect water consumption.

Breaking down domestic water use in the United States allows us to notice that the biggest share of a given household’s water consumption takes places in the bathroom. Faucets represent 15.7% of domestic water use in the average American family while the shower, the clothes washer and the toilet respectively make up 16.8%, 21,7% and 26,7% of the total. Leaks surprisingly make up 13.7% of the total. As to other uses, they represent a tiny 5.3%. Of all the water we use, can you guess how much we drink? Considering that Americans should intake about three litres per day but use some 382 litres, it can be estimated that we drink less than 1% of the water we consume…

Ways to cut down

Although American households ought to make efforts to limit water leaks (which, as we said earlier, represent close to 14% of domestic water use) by fixing potentially defective devices such as sinks, faucets, showers, toilets and hoses, they should also pay particular attention to their personal routine. In effect, albeit no one can deny that a lot of water can be saved merely by limiting leaks, an even greater amount could be saved if people spared no effort in trying to notice when and where they could easily use less water.

For instance, simply turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can help save 200 gallons of water per month. Washing the dishes with a bowl (or the sink) full of water instead of an open tap can cut down water use by half. Keeping a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of letting the water run from the tap until it gets cold enough can help save many litres everyday. Turning off the water in the shower while you are soaping yourself is yet another small gesture than can significantly reduce the amount of water you use everyday. By making tiny efforts, every single person can contribute to saving huge amounts of fresh water.

The importance of cutting down on water

Some people may legitimately be asking why they should cut down on water if it is naturally replenished through the hydrologic cycle. Well, there actually are plenty of good reasons to limit domestic water use. One of them is due to the fact that water infrastructures are environmentally damaging, for they have to be built in the first place (which inevitably destroys ecosystems and wilderness) and constantly maintained (which calls for a lot of energy and material).

Another reason stems from the fact that the amount of energy and chemicals that is necessary to treat and pump water is overwhelming; this directly contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases. What’s more, water consumption is so overwhelming in the developed world that the hydrologic cycle can hardly keep up with the speed of water use by humans. For example, underground water resources are often used up faster than they can be replenished, which poses a direct threat to the sustainability of some communities, which rely on these sources of water.

It also ought to be noted that weather patterns and the climate at large are highly influenced by the hydrologic cycle: if humans come to modify the latter (which they already are doing through irrigation, for instance), the former will in turn be affected. All in all, responsible water consumption is not only a matter of having a clear conscience, as some may think: it is a matter of using a finite and unevenly distributed resource in a way that fosters its long-term sustainability for the sake of everyone.

 

About the author:  Alexandre Duval is a blogger for Standard Life, a company that offers quality retirement products.