Our Environment

“Water, water every where but not a drop to drink!” You may remember this familiar refrain. True enough, about 80% of the earth is covered by water but we are still plagued with water shortage concerns. Many believe that we have an unlimited supply of water. What they fail to realize is that, although water is a renewable resource, there is still a very big possibility that in the future we will suffer from extreme water shortages.

Ground water and surface water are the two main sources of our drinking water. Through the water cycle these sources renew themselves. But due to the fast population growth, demand for water is increased so that the water resources are not given the chance to replenish before water is again depleted.

Water conservation is a necessary step that will insure that demand is always less that the supply. This basic principle applies to all of the resources that are used by society. If we fail to reduce, replenish, and renew, then there will eventually be nothing left.

So, that being said, here are a few tips that can help you cut your own use of water at home.
Be sure to comment with your own conservation tips as well!:

1. Keep track of your water bill. Try to find ways to reduce it.
2. Fix leaky facet and plumbing fixtures. If this can not be done at once try to catch the drip with a pail. The water saved can be used to water the plants.
3. Adjust the water level in your washing machine if you can not wash full loads. The same thing goes for your dish washer. You will notice a great reduction in your water bill if you practice this tip.
4. Instruct your children to use a glass in brushing their teeth instead of just letting the water flow.
5. Take shorter showers or better yet change your shower heads to low flow. You gain to save about 3 gallons of water if you do so.
6. Use hot water to thaw food. You will consume more water if you let running water to flow over the frozen food. The water used to thaw the food can be used to water the plants.
7. Letting the pots and pans soak overnight would make for easy scouring that won’t need so much water.

You can do your part for water conservation by practising these tips and by encouraging other people to support water conservation programs too.