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Drip, drop, drip, drop … do you hear that? That’s the sound of an extremely rare and precious fluid going down the drain. While it may seem, living on a massive blue planet with seven seas, that water is quite abundant, only 1 percent of the Earth’s water can be used for drinking. A leaky faucet alone can waste an entire gallon per 15,140 drops. Besides repairing leaky appliances, there is a plethora of actions we can take in order to conserve our most valuable resource.
Both Syosset High School and Jericho High School have taken steps to save water by implementing new hydration stations around the schools and students have had the opportunity to recycle their water bottles in school for years. Now, they will get the chance to reuse these bottles in constructive ways. Unlike the attempt to awkwardly fill up water bottles via the water fountain, hydration stations are automatic and provide little room for error, therefore wasting less water. Instead of having to hold bottles at a 45-degree angle to get maybe 80 percent of the water that comes out of the fountain—and that’s only if you hold the button with the same force to ensure the water doesn’t pour over or under the lip of the bottle—hydration stations include a spout that hovers above the water bottle to ensure 100 percent accuracy. In addition to conserving water at school, students, teachers, anyone and everyone can also do so at home.
Homeowners don’t have to buy a super high-tech toilet in order to save water at home. There are so many ways to alter the way you shower in order to save a little water. If you’re the type to sulk in the shower for hours or, perhaps, belt out a few Britney Spears’ tunes while you wash your hair, you do not necessarily need to shorten the length of shower you take. Instead, you can simply turn off the shower while soaping up, then turn the water back on to rinse. This way, you don’t have to compromise how many songs you sing or how long you stay in the shower in order to avoid responsibilities. If you are not a secret shower pop star or procrastinator, you can simply take a shorter shower by washing more quickly. If baths are your thing, try to only take them on occasion.
If you use organic or biodegradable soaps and shampoos, you can use bathwater the next day to water flowers and garden veggies. Also, while brushing teeth or shaving, avoid leaving the water running during the entire duration of the process. It is also beneficial to make sure the dishwasher or washing machine is full before starting a load so that fewer loads are done in total.
It is important to remember that water is not as abundant as the world leads us to believe. It should be cherished and used wisely so that future generations and other living beings may have access to safe drinking water.
Beyond conserving drinking water, saving water provides some more immediate benefits as well. In reality, even if the entire human population were to waste water at the rate we are today, it would be a while until all of our clean water resources were to be diminished. Perhaps a greater motivation to save water is knowing that, should the above methods be put to use, a family of four could save more than $3,000 on water bills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Also, the Natural Resource Defense Council has determined that the collection, distribution and treatment of water contributes to approximately 116 billion pounds of carbon dioxide a year—that’s as much pollution as 10 million cars a year. By refilling and reusing water bottles, we save money and the environment. By saving water, less energy needs to be utilized in order to treat water so that it is drinkable. Additionally, less energy is required to package and transport plastic water bottles, a process that contributes greatly to our carbon footprint. By saving water, water pollution and health risks to animals that cannot filter their own drinking water is minimized and energy costs for us are lowered.
At home or at school, it is so easy to save water and there are so many amazing benefits that come with doing so. With Earth Day around the corner, April 22, it is the perfect time to let family and friends know just how easy it is to make a difference and conserve water. Whether it be a drip or a drop, don’t let water go to waste.
Jacqueline Wagner is a senior at Syosset High School
