What is Water Conservation: Methods and Tips

Water Conservation Overview

As humans, we all know how vital water is to our survival. Without water, we would not be able to drink, cook food, breathe, or even live. It's no wonder why the world spends hundreds of billions of dollars every year trying to make sure that we have enough of this precious resource. But sometimes we forget how easily it can go from being a necessity for life to something that is taken for granted as our infrastructure breaks down and pollution persists. With that in mind, let's explore some important facts about water conservation so you know what it takes to keep our natural resources in good condition. 

What is Water Conservation?

The Earth is 70% water, and people need it to live. But with a rapidly increasing population and depleted resources, the planet's freshwater supplies are running out. It is estimated that by 2025, there will be a 40% water deficit. Water conservation is the most crucial way to save water today. Today, the lack of water is a major global issue. One-third of the world's population survives on less than 2 gallons per day. Roughly a population of 1 billion people has no access to clean water. Only 10% of fresh water is available for human use in our country today, and we use 80% of that. Water is an essential resource that keeps the planet alive and healthy. Water conservation is the only way to ensure we'll have enough water in the future.

Basically, water conservation is a method of using water wisely so it's always available for all living things. Water conservation helps ensure that our children and their children can enjoy fresh, clean water as we have today. It's a way of life that includes small steps we can take each day to be good stewards of our freshwater resources. 

Water Conservation Statistics

The United Nations estimates that by 2050, 1.8 billion people will live in areas without enough water to meet their needs. A study by the United Nations found that 2.2 billion people currently lack access to clean drinking water and 784 million people have no access to adequate sanitation services. The World Health Organization estimates that about 10 percent of the world's population, or about 880 million people, suffer from a chronic lack of safe water supplies, according to WHO statistics. As noted, women and girls are particularly vulnerable to poor water quality and unsafe water access. Women and girls spend about three times as much time collecting water as men, consuming approximately 200 million hours a day in four countries alone (Namibia, Mozambique, Nepal, and Zambia). 

For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is estimated that more than 240 million primary school-aged children do not attend school primarily because of the distance they must walk to reach their schools. Another reason poor water quality affects girls is that girls are more likely to perform household chores that involve collecting water.

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Benefits of Water Conservation

The following are some of the benefits of water conservation-

1. The primary benefit is that it helps prevent the depletion of the planet's finite water resources. It also helps to limit the effects of climate change and global warming by reducing the need for cooling systems. Water is an important natural resource in the world. It is not only used for daily activities like drinking, cooking, bathing, and industrial purposes, but it is also critical to agriculture as a means of watering crops. 
2. Aside from helping secure much-needed water supplies for the planet, conserving water at home also helps reduce energy consumption by limiting cooling requirements needed in residences, offices, factories, and other buildings that require air conditioning or heating systems. This is also beneficial to individual homeowners and office workers who can save on utility bills. 
3. Conserving water also helps protect resources found in our oceans. The ocean is the largest reservoir on Earth, but it is depleted considerably fast due to water usage and waste runoff from land-based activities. 
4. Conservation of water can help to slow the rate at which the ocean depletes its resources while still allowing them to function normally. When water is not taken from an area, it will remain in place and continue to provide aquatic ecosystems with their normal functions.
5. In addition, conserving water also helps improve the quality of life in developing countries that have limited access to clean drinking water. Improvements in water conservation methods around the world can help prevent further shortages of clean drinking water and improve living conditions in these areas. 
6. The benefits of water conservation are numerous as they not only help protect our planet's precious water resources but also help save energy and other natural resources that are being depleted. 
7. Conserving water helps slow climate change by reducing the need to cool our buildings and will also help improve living conditions in impoverished nations by providing them with access to clean drinking water. 

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Tips For Water Conservation

As the population continues to grow, water management becomes more and more of an issue. Here are some ways how to better manage your water usage. 

1. Make sure to turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth or shaving.
2. Don't leave the tap running while you do the dishes.
3. Use the shower in bursts rather than running it continuously.
4. Don't forget to change the water in the toilet tank.
5. Try to limit the amount of laundry you do at one time.
6. How long you wash clothes varies depending on people, but a normal amount of time is between 30-45 seconds per item. So figure it out by adding up all the items you have on your laundry list and multiply that by 30-45 secs for every item. 
7. Figure out how much water it takes to fill a sink 5/6 full with cold running water. For example, if it takes 3 gallons to fill a sink about 63% full, then for every gallon used, 33% of that goes down the drain unused. That is 60 gallons x .33 = 21.6 gallons used for doing dishes.
8. Try using a bucket or watering can when watering flowers and plants instead of using the hose.
9. Use water filling stations, such as water fountains at a grocery store. 
10. If you come across a water fountain or drinking fountain while walking around, don't hesitate to re-fill any reusable bottles so that you can continue to save the environment and keep yourself hydrated during long outdoor activities.
11. Many cities have installed water management facilities to improve the way they use water. For example, Plant Lady offers a free comprehensive report on its website giving detailed information about the water usage of a specific address. 
12. It is always best to be informed as much as possible about how to conserve and manage resources effectively so that you can live without creating harm to the planet. 
13. As our city grows, rainwater harvesting provides a good alternative to meet its growing water needs while maintaining biodiversity.For example, you can use grass-filled barrels to collect the rainwater as it falls, or you can use a flat cistern which is generally larger than a barrel and is equipped with a cover to prevent evaporation. 
14. A simple way to conserve water is to recycle whenever possible.

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