Every Drop Counts: Think Water Conservation

Reduce your daily in-home water usage.

Leaving the water running while brushing teeth, washing hands, or cleaning produce, can waste approximately nine liters of water per minute. With 800 million people living under a threshold of "water stress" around the world, this is a devastating misuse of the Earth's resource. ³

Although more than three quarters of the Earth's surface is made up of water, only 2.8 percent is available for human consumption. According to the United Nations¹, a third of the world's population is enduring some form of water scarcity, and one in every six humans have no access to clean water within a kilometer of their homes.

IEEE and the IEEE Committee on Earth Observation (ICEO) have undertaken multiple projects to bring clean, usable water to people across the globe. Currently, they are working on "Water Harvesting in India," which is the first Water for the World pilot project underway in Village Melva in Jodhpur. Rain-fed agriculture, along with raising livestock, is the main occupation of this village and their success is dependent upon monsoon rain, which is highly variable. Improving the availability of water through water harvesting and storage is the first step in raising farm productivity–as farmers will have assured production of higher value crops. This pilot project demonstrates a living example of the value of supplemental irrigation.

While most of us cannot build a water harvesting system, we can conserve water. Take this IEEEGreen Your World Challenge, and make a powerful, conscious life change to help reduce water waste:

• Build a rainwater harvesting system at home that filters rain from roof gutters into a large tank, or put a rain barrel or other container outside to collect water for a later use;
• Fix leaks and dripping taps: UK non-governmental organization Waterwise² reports that fixing a dripping tap can save as much as 5,000 liters per year;
• Shorten your shower by 1-2 minutes, and save up to 150 gallons per month;
• Turn off water taps when brushing teeth or shaving, and save 25 gallons per month;
• Wash fruits and vegetables in a bowl full of water instead of under a running tap.

"We must rein in our own water usage to stop our unsustainable exploitation of this resource. We can conserve water by being attentive to lessening our water consumption by reducing use and recycling waste water in our homes. For example, we can turn the water off while brushing our teeth. There are also permanent efficiencies available that take no attention at all. These include limiting the volume of toilet flushes and restricting shower head flow."

– Tom Weiner, IEEE Senior Life Member and Chair, ICEO

¹ Source: http://www.un.org/works/sub2.asp?lang=en&s=19
² Source: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php
³ Source: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-water/green-water-statistics.html

 

DID YOU KNOW

"We can conserve water by lessening our water consumption and recycling waste water in our homes."

– Tom Weiner, IEEE Senior Life Member and Chair, ICEO