If It Is Thursday It's Going Green - Water Conservation

Water is a Basic Human Right

All people deserve the right to a clean and accessible water source. However, throughout the world people are struggling for this basic human right.

Today I am making some suggestions that may help you and your family conserve the amount of water that you use.

Think of water as sacred. Whether you live in areas with plenty of water or where water is scarce, remember water is a precious resource. Whether in the home, in the community or within industrial development, we can no longer afford to waste water.

Avoid Consuming Bottled Water: Unless it is an emergency, bottled water is not the solution. Fill re-usable containers with tap water and take them with you.

Do Not Pour Chemicals Down the Drain: Watch what you pour down your drain and what you put in your garbage. Everything you throw out will find its way back into the hydrologic cycle.

Water conservation is an important environmental issue. The average U.S. household uses over 300 gallons of water per day. Inside of our homes, toilets, clothes washers and showers are the largest water users. By making some behavior changes, and by adding some new fixture attachments and appliances, the average water conserving home could cut their daily average to less than 150 gallons with no sacrifice in comfort or performance.

How to Do It:

1. Only run full loads of dishes and laundry. Don’t waste all that water by using half loads, as this isn’t economical at all.

2. Do not hand wash your dishes or clothing if you have machines. You’ll use more water that way and you could be wasting a lot more water by rinsing off your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.

3. Make sure to fix any leaks. Do you hear your toilet running all the time? Is there a drip, drip, drip in your tub? The water volume from these leaks will really add up over time. Leaks can account for a large percentage of your indoor water use! These are often undetected because they are small, hidden in water fixtures, walls and basements, or happen underground. Check your water meter to see if you have any leaks (shut off all water uses in your house for an hour, and see if your meter moves).

4. Turn off your faucet while you brush your teeth. Don’t let the water run; use the stopper to fill the sink with water when you wash your hands and face.

5. Get high efficiency showerheads. These are really amazing: you’ll still enjoy a luxurious, powerful shower stream but you will save thousands of gallons of water per person per year. Spend less time in the shower.

6. Get low-flow toilets. Today’s high efficiency toilets not only save water and energy, but also perform as well as their water-guzzling predecessors. You may be wasting tens of gallons a day if you live in an older house with old toilets. Pour a few drops of food coloring into the toilet tank - wait an hour - if the water in the toilet changes color you have a costly leak. Have it repaired.

7. If it’s time for new machines, it’s a very good idea to get an Energy Star approved laundry machine and dishwasher. These machines save a significant amount of energy and water and they will save you money over the long run. There are also rebates available for these appliances.

8. If you have a car, don’t use the hose but instead use the old fashioned bucket and a sponge to clean your car as this will save so much running water.

9. If you have a house - collect rainwater and use it for your gardening needs.

Just these few tips can conserve not only a lot of water but will also save you money on your water bills each year. Why not save some water today?

Remember the 4 R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repair.

Together we can make a change in the world.

peacesojourner

World Water Day - 2012

Today, March 22, 2012, is World Water Day

Most of us have always had access to running hot and cold water and could not imagine life without it. The following paragraph is an excerpt of an article I wrote when I lived in El Salvador, Central America, some years ago.

“I am living in a small room (6’ x 6’) in the local church. I have no TV, no radio, no sink, no phone, and no fridge. Actually, I do have a sink but it is outdoors and I use it to wash clothes and dishes and to store water in daily for use during the times when there is no water available. We do have water on this street but only from 7 am to 11 am every day. (4 hours) and that is not guaranteed. It is actually very liberating washing the body, the clothes and dishes (not at the same time) outdoors in the sunshine. :-) The sink is called a pilar and is very important to the way of life here. One learns to adapt very quickly and as soon as the water is turned on in the morning I hurry to get the very cold water, wash, and get ready for the day.”

While in El Salvador I witnessed many things related to water. I was in a small village outside of Santa Ana and most of the people had no running water. There was a very small waterfall at the end of ‘la linea’ (the railroad line) and the women would bathe there. Washing their hair and showering with their clothing on, while washing their dress at the same time. Then, still wearing the clothing, let it air dry in the sunshine. After this they filled large containers with water and carried them on their head to their homes.

The next village over was Masacua, and all of the people shared one water pump in the center of the village. Later, another more modern water faucet was installed (still only one for the whole village). The entire community turned out for the blessing of the water – giving thanks to God that they finally had clean running water from a deep well. There were no toilets in Masacua at the time I arrived there and a few months later some young men came from Belgium and installed some raised toilets – one for each family. The villagers would chuckle because the toilets were built up high and one had to walk up about eight cement steps to reach it - they were flushed with chemicals and a bucket of water. They named them the ‘tronos real’ (royal thrones).

I witnessed the factories from the United States pumping chemical waste into the local rivers which turned the water dark brown. No concern was given that this was the water that the local people had to drink. I agonized over the fact that in the United States they had to follow environmental safety laws and in Central America there are no such laws and the local children are dying from the contaminated water. I complained loudly to the companies but no one listened. I still feel that if the companies know that their product pollutes the water then they have a moral responsibility to put precautions in place.

In the first weeks that I was there I became very ill from drinking the water and after about two months I decided I would buy bottled water so that I would not get sick again. I'm sorry to tell you that the local people did not have the option to do that and I felt uncomfortable about it but I decided that in order to be effective in my work there I needed to stay healthy.

There was a very ingenious local water site that the men had built. There was a small river in the town from which the men had channeled the water into a swimming pool where the children could play, and the same water was again channeled into about 50 stone community sinks where the women would come and wash their clothes. The wastewater from the sinks was then directed back into the flow of the river. The women would place the clothing on the bushes along the river so that they could dry in the sunshine.

Another common sight was to see men washing daily at a public stone pilar (sink) along the side of the road on their way to work.

I had heard from the women that Health workers from other countries had come to the village to teach the women about the basic hygiene of washing their hands after everything that they do, to prevent the spread of germs. The women explained to me that they felt this was ridiculous as the one heavy container of water that they carried home daily could not be wasted on repeated hand washing.

I could give many more examples. One thing that I learned personally was to value water and when I returned to the U.S. I became very frugal with the use of water. So much so that one day the local Water Department made a visit to my home because they were sure that the water meter must not be working. My bill for several months was only $7. I explained that I had learned how to conserve water while living in Central America. They found it hard to believe but found nothing wrong with the meter. :-)

Friends, according to the United Nations, about 1.4 billion people lack access to clean water and 2.4 billion people lack adequate sanitation. Because of this, over 9,000 children die daily. Please check out the United Nations website to see what you can do to help.

peacesojourner