Ways to Conserve Clean Water in a Time of Water Scarcity
- delilahhemstreet
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Around the world water is becoming frighteningly scarce. Droughts that have lasted for decades are occurring in places like the American Southwest, central Chile, and the Congo basin. According to Carbon Brief, over the past 50 years multi-year droughts have impacted every continent except Antarctica. According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, between 2016 and 2019, "3.29 billion hectares of reported land were affected by drought, equivalent to 48.86% of the reported land area." Some of the largest contributors are unsustainable agriculture, climate change causing less rain and snow fall, along with an increase of water evaporation from warming temperatures globally, and higher water demand due to rapid population growth and water demand. The aging water infrastructure also increases water waste. For example, leaking pipes and old water systems causes 40% of clean water to be wasted before it reaches consumers.
1 in 4 people don't have access to clean drinking water globally. Clean drinking water comes from treated natural sources, such as ground water, springs, rivers, lakes, streams, and harvested rain water. Many of these sources are being contaminated by human activity, worsening the problem. Tap water often contains carcinogens such as heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals. Water pollution is often caused by untreated factory waste, chemical runoff from farms, and sewage. Each year, contamination by "forever chemicals" causes 1.1 million people in the United States to develop water related illnesses. In addition to checking water quality reports from your local utility provider, you can take additional steps to make sure your water is safe for consumption. Products such as the AguaTru filter, a reverse osmosis system, can help purify your drinking water.
Here are some simple ways to help conserve and protect our water supply:
Simple and easy changes to your routine such as reducing shower time and limiting running water while washing hands, brushing teeth, and doing dishes.
Making changes to your diet can reduce water usage. Decreasing the amount of meat and dairy you consume can drastically impact ones water usage. Producing a single hamburger requires 2,393 liters of water, when feeding and keeping the livestock healthy (source?). Sourcing local, organic food that is in season also causes less of a strain of the environment and your body. Shopping at your local farmers market, researching what produce is in season in your area before you go to the grocery store, and shopping for fair trade products contribute positively to land preservation, fair animal and human treatment. Coffee is also a big water user. It's hard to believe, but for every 125 ml cup of coffee 140 liters of water are used in the processing of beans. By switching your drink order to an almond or coconut milk matcha or chai, or even just reducing your average coffee daily intake can make all the difference. Over ordering or purchasing excess food also results in food waste, so be careful to only buy what you need.
The clothes we purchase have a much larger impact on water usage than you might think. To make a single pair of jeans required 10,000 liters of water used for the cotton growth and dye. To reduce your impact, buy quality, long-lasting products or shop for second hand items.
Avoid single use plastic, as these products create the majority of the worlds micro plastics, are the largest contributor to oceanic pollution, and use huge amounts of water when they are produced. Bottled water production and packaging uses 3X the products volume in water (source?).
Your home's source of electricity matters, as well. Power plants use vast amounts of water to cool generators, draining local water supplies. Switching to renewable sources such as solar, wind, or tidal energy for your home and car creates a large scale impact on water conservation.
This may be surprising, but modifying your online habits can help reduce water usage. Controversial AI data centers and computing centers are being built around the world. Each of these centers uses large amounts of water to prevent overheating. Changing your search browser to one that doesn't have an automatic AI response, such as Ecosia.org lessens water use. Ecosia is unique in that it gives back to the environment. To date, 254,163,963 trees have been planted and 102,980,820 euros have been dedicated to climate action by Ecosia.
While it may feel daunting to make such changes, simply being aware of these things and making smart choices can be very effective. Every one of us can make a difference. Living by example and doing your part will inspire and influence others to do the same. Together we can conserve and protect clean water, one of our most important resources, and help create a cleaner greener planet for generations to come!
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