Discover Why We Celebrate World Water Day
Discover Why We Celebrate World Water Day
Summer is just around the corner, and many people have already started dreaming about lazy days by the beach, cooling off in the pool, family adventures to the waterpark, and other summer fun activities. But none of these would exist without water, which is something that humans rely on for sustenance, sanitation, employment, and enjoyment.
And that’s why World Water Day is so important: because there are lots of people around the world who don’t have access to clean water, even though they need it just as much as we do to survive. Today we’ll find out more about World Water Day, which is coming up this March, and how we can all do our part to solve the water crisis.
663 Million People Around the World Are Living Without Safe Water
The Water Crisis
The global water crisis, which is also known as water scarcity, is a lack of safe water that affects 1 in 10 humans on the planet. In order to survive, many of these people must travel long distances to access clean water for themselves and their families or must line up for several hours each day to get a ration of potable water to consume. Moreover, there are also 1.8 billion people on the planet whose only water source is contaminated, so they’re at risk of diseases like polio and diphtheria.
World Water Day
In response to the water crisis, the United Nations created World Water Day back in 1993, and it’s been celebrated every March 22 since then. The goal of this international day of observance is to bring attention to water scarcity, to reduce global water use, and to bring safe water to the growing population that lives without it. The theme of this year’s World Water Day is wastewater.
America Wastes a Trillion Gallons of Water Each Year
Reducing Waste
When combined, residential, agricultural, and industrial water waste in America amounts to a trillion gallons every year. That’s equivalent to 40 million swimming pools worth of water, or 24 billion bathtubs. From residential waste, a lot of that water comes from wasteful habits and leaks. The best way to reduce your water waste at home is by diligently checking for leaks around the house, and fixing them as soon as you find them. Waste sites and leaks to check for include:
- Running toilets
- Dripping faucets
- Leaking pipes
- Holes or leaks in irrigation systems
Conserving Water
The average family of four uses about 400 gallons of water each day, and that number can be reduced drastically with a few water conservation tips. For instance, you can use greywater—water from the shower, dishes, and laundry—instead of fresh water in the garden and for other outdoor uses. You can also reuse cooking and boiling water to make soups and other dishes. Furthermore, you can save plenty of water by flushing the toilet less, taking shorter showers, using a rain barrel for the garden, turning off taps when you’re not using them, and replacing older fixtures and appliances with modern water-saving ones.
Honeybucket, in Taylor TX, is pleased to be your partner in conservation this World Water Day, so give us a call at 512-309-4609.