What’s wrong with wasting water?

Rising tides, endless rainy days and flash floods. It might seem like wasting water is the least of our problems. So what is the matter when factories, farms and people at home waste a little water? Here are our five quick-fire responses.

Only 1% of the Earth’s water is drinkable

Over 70% of the world is covered by water. But 97% of that is salt water, and undrinkable. Of the remaining 3% of drinkable fresh water, 2% is locked in ice caps, deep in the Earth or in glaciers. The remaining 1% is finite. IE: if we use it up, we can’t just go for a free refill. So choosing a water-saving brand to buy your jeans from, or choosing a meat and dairy-free diet is, to the global population, the equivalent of giving your BFF a big glass of h2o after four consecutive Aperol spritzes. Because let’s face it: we don’t want to be holding the Earth’s hair back later when it barfs up all the waste we’ve been feeding it.

Protecting the ecosystem

Water pollution is everyone’s business. Waste water that feeds into rivers and open water ends up in our food, our animals, our plants and our bodies (eurgh). The more water we use, the greater the need to create new reservoirs which are not only expensive to build, but costly on the wildlife around the areas too. Affecting natural bodies of water like this can lead to negative disruptions in plant and animal life that would likely be hard to reverse.

Save energy from processing water

The more water we use, the more wastewater needs to be processed. Pluuuus, all that water that flows so awesomely from your taps and shower heads needs to be pumped there. A study in sunny California found that 6.5% of all energy consumed (Wait, what? You heard that right – ALL energy consumed) is used up just by moving water from one place to another. 

Saves money

Reducing water usage will reduce bills too. Even if you don’t pay for water by a meter, using water a little more thoughtfully will save municipal processing and conservation costs and government money, AKA your taxes. Maybe that money can instead go to something else that’s important, like hospitals or education or social care.

Respecting wastewater is respecting lives

It’s mind-blowing, but one tenth of our global population still doesn’t have access to clean and safe water. Today. When kids have hoverboards. It’s not ok. When wastewater runs untreated into sewers and through less privileged communities, they contribute to poor health and so, trap people in a cycle of poverty. If proper wastewater treatment is introduced, it can lead to greater social mobility. Brands who take responsibility in treating their wastewater or reducing their water usage are directly contributing to a positive change in this area that’s desperately needed.

If you’re interested in learning more about the impact of water socially and environmentally, you can read more on the World Health Organization website here.

Other information sources you might like to read:
5 Reasons why water conservation is important for your family
Why we need to save water
Why you shouldn’t waste water