Example of a Water Conservation Technique That Also Reduces Water Pollution

Factories reusing cooling water instead of returning it to a river.

Water Pollution Prevention and Conservation

Our planet might be rich with water resources but this does not mean that they are limitless. Unfortunately, most of the Earth’s water is either salty and polluted, while many world’s nations are having serious problems with the access to clean, drinking water. The same scenario awaits us all if we do not stop water pollution and become more responsible with the use of drinking water.

Water Pollution Turning off the water tap while you are brushing teeth may seem just a drop in the sea, however, small and seemingly insignificant water saving measures can conserve huge amounts of drinking water but only under condition, that everyone make water conservation a commitment. If everyone who live in the United Kingdom would turn off the water tap while brushing teeth, almost 500 million litres of water would be saved. But drinking water is not only wasted literally for nothing if left running while you are brushing teeth. Thousands of litres of water are lost due to leaky pipes as a dripping pipe can waste as much as 5,000 litres of water per year. Then there are unnecessary toilet flushes wasting millions of litres of drinking water, while gardeners can use as much as 1,000 litres of water per hour for sprinkling. And these are only a few examples of wasted drinking water that could easily be saved.

Saving water does not require change of lifestyle nor affects the quality of life. On the contrary, by stopping wasting water you can save a lot of money and spend it on other things which will improve quality of your life. You should choose companies who are eco friendly who use water saving techniques. But the most important effect of water conservation is reduced pressure on drinking water supplies which brings further financial benefits for you as an individual as well as the entire community. As soon as water supplies will become dangerously decline, its prices will begin to rise which means that you will be paying even higher water bills. Industry, on the other hand, will compensate the increased water expenses in the price of the final products which means that just about everything will become more expensive. But there is more. The worst case scenario even foresees armed conflicts for water resources.

The problem with increased pressure on drinking water resources can be prevented with water conservation methods and prevention of further water pollution. That little drinking water left must be kept clean which, however, again requires cooperation of everyone. Most people erroneously think that industry is the only source of water pollution failing to realize that the actions of an individual have a tremendous effect on water pollution. For example, each time you buy a conventionally grown apple you are contributing to water pollution because that apple was produced with the use of tonnes of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. These toxic chemicals do not only remain on the apples and apple tree. The rain washes them off into the soil though which they reach groundwater which is the only source of drinking water worldwide. If we want to continue to drink tap water, we will also have to give up toxic chemicals or at least use them more responsible like we did over the last century.