Environmental Writing

11/18/20 Issue of the Week-The Wasting of Water

By Anga_Boba_Tea

Water. It's essential to our health, and makes up over 60% of the human body. But what do you really know about water? Specifically, water waste. Do you know that the average person will waste 30 gallons of water a day? It's true. You might already know that we humans are polluting a lot of the water, which leaves a lot of water unusable for all organisms on Earth. But when we look at the clean fresh water that we use everyday, there is also waste and improvements that we can be making in our everyday lives.

First off, let's consider what the term "water waste" actually means and why it's bad. Wikipedia will tell us, "Wastewater (or waste water) is any that has been contaminated by human use. Therefore, wastewater is a byproduct of domestic, industrial, commercial or activities." But what does that mean? Well, to put it simply, it means that we contaminate water. And we do so through our daily activities, the creation of products we use, and the growth of the food we eat. 80% of this waste water will be dumped back into the environment, untreated, causing water pollution and habitat destruction.

With that out of the way, let's focus on our first subject. 70% of water waste comes from agriculture and livestock. And I hear yourself asking, Wait, what can I do about that? I'm not a farmer! However, there are steps you can take to reduce your personal water usage that relates to agriculture and livestock. Going vegan is the best way to reduce your water usage in relation to agriculture and livestock, but going vegetarian is an easier stepping stone to get there. To produce one pound of beef, it takes 1,800 gallons of water. And considering that over 27 million pounds of beef are consumed in the US alone each year, that's a lot of water wastage. See? I told you, going vegetarian is a good first step.

Dairy, however, also wastes heaps of water. Around 2,000 gallons of water goes into one gallon of cow milk, the kind most commonly consumed. Milk alternatives, such as almond or soy aren't even that efficient. It takes 920 gallons of water to produce one gallon of almond milk, considering how much water almonds need to grow. How crazy is that? The best milk alternative is oat milk, but if you don't want to drink that either, I understand.

One argument you'll often here is the amount of important nutrients and vitamins found in meats and dairy products are too beneficial to let go. And, obviously, going vegetarian or vegan is not an option for kids/adults in households that do not have easy or regular access to foods or nutrients, and that's understandable. But if you are in a position to become vegetarian or vegan there are even better alternatives to the nutrients found in meats and dairy. Tofu, beans, leafy greens, legumes, oats, and nuts are all options for intakes of nutrients such as protein, iron, or zinc. There are many good vegetarian or vegan dishes that you can find through quick searches online.

If you are in a position to do so, go vegan, or at least vegetarian. Better yet, convince friends, family, siblings, and neighbors to go vegetarian as well!

Next, we're going to move onto personal water usage that often ends in waste. When you flush the toilet, wash your hands, water the lawn, all of these use water, and more often than not waste it. If you faucet is leaking, just 6 drops of water every 30 seconds is equivalent to one gallon of water wasted in a day and 350 gallons in a year. So check the faucets in your house and make sure they're not leaking.

A 1000 sq ft lawn needs 125 gallons a water a day under the hot, beating sun, and only 10 gallons on a cool winter day. In contrast, a sprinkler system can use around 1,200 gallons of water an hour. That is nearly 10 times what your lawn will need on an unusually hot day. Solution? Most sources will tell you to get rid of a grass lawn, instead replace it with something more efficient, like a vegetable garden. Alternatively, you can install a drip irrigation system, which will save water. Yes, it's a lot of work that no one really wants to do. But remember, you're doing it to save the planet and preserve the future.

The final everyday water wastage I'm going to get into is showers. First of all: take showers. Baths waste unnecessary water and are generally worse at cleaning and worse for your skin. A ten-minute shower will use around 22 gallons of water. Most environmentalists will recommend cutting down shower time to 2-3 minutes, and so that's what I recommend too! If you go over, don't feel guilty! Just keep in mind that the shorter the shower, the better. No need to stay in there any longer than you have to.

And that about concludes this little essay. We learned what water waste is and how it contaminates our world. We learned about how much water is wasted in the food we eat and the things we do, and we learned how to fix it. As individuals, we can only do so much, but it is all part of a larger step to getting where we need to go. If we don't correct our behavior, no one will. So do it. Take the next step, conserve your water, protect it. And tell others to do it to. Because we need clean water to live. We need it.

Spread the word in person, at your school/work, on social media, through peaceful protests. Fight like there is no tomorrow because if you don't, there really might not be a tomorrow.