Water Conservation

Every once in a while, in the morning when I am taking a shower, my mom yells at me for taking a longer shower than I need to. In fact, sometimes she limits my shower time with a timer. While she is worried about the rising water cost, she is first genuinely concerned about wasting water as she gives me examples of countries and people that don’t have access to clean water. All living things need water to survive. So when asked about why it is important to conserve water, the first reason that comes to my mind is that water is scarce and saving water will help to make sure there is enough for everyone.

According to the United States Geological Survey, only 2.5% of Earth’s water is freshwater and most of that water is unavailable for use. We use freshwater in most of our activities. In addition to needing freshwater for bathing, drinking, and cooking, pools and some industries also need freshwater. If water is wasted and runs low, there will not be enough water to do these things. My mom uses water to boil pasta and other food as well as leftover water from water bottles to water the indoor and outdoor plants. In addition to conserving water, the nutrients in cooking water are good for the plants. By reusing water in these ways, we are using less water.

Conserving water is also important because it diverts less water from our lakes, river, and underground, leaving water for plants and animals and keeping the environment clean and healthy. Reducing our water usage can reduce energy, time, and money it takes to deliver water to homes and other communities and therefore reduces wastewater treatment costs and air pollution. Energy usage goes hand in hand in many ways with water usage. For example, the dishwasher and washing machine both require water and power. When we take steps to reduce water by being smart in the usage of these appliances, we also conserve power.

We are lucky to have a large Quabbin/Wachusett water supply. While there are no current restrictions on water usage and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) water service is at normal operating status per the MWRA website. However, for reasons noted above, we must conserve water. I believe every effort, every thought, every person, and every drop counts!