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Water Wastage: People of the World Unite!!!
Do you know that:
* One-third of the water in homes goes on flushing the lavatory – each flush uses about 10 litres (18 pints)
* The average bath uses 80 litres; a shower about 35 litres
Although these facts appear in today’s (May 17th) edition of London’s The Independent, these carry a warning for all the countries, including the United States of America. In addition to these there are other reasons why we have water shortage.
We always thought in India that the municipalities did a shoddy job in preventing wastage of water. However, the story in The Independent is an eye-opener. “Billions of litres of water are gushing out of Britain’s crumbling mains network every day as the country faces its worst drought for 100 years.
“Figures from Ofwat, the water regulator, reveal that the privatised water companies are losing 3.6 billion litres a day – up to 500 pints per home per day. The worst offender, Thames Water, loses 915 million litres a day, equivalent to more than 700 swimming pools…
“According to the latest figures from Ofwat, for 2004-05, the 23 water companies in England and Wales lost between eight million and 915 million litres a day. Two companies, Thames Water and United Utilities – which together cover 11 million people in London, Manchester and Liverpool – failed to hit Ofwat’s targets for the number of leaks that can be economically repaired.
“Thames Water – which loses one-third of its water between the reservoir and the home – has missed its target for five successive years.”
Our worthy media colleagues worldwide who chase questionable issues at breakneck/breathless speed, can always do their bit to encourage public debate on the strategy to save precious water.
5 Responses to “Water Wastage: People of the World Unite!!!”
I can relate. The old saying in Georgia has long been “Thank God for Mississippi!” It’s always comforting to know that somebody has you beat in an area of incompetence.
The American Southwest is in no better shape as far as conservation is concerned. You still have lawns and pools in Phoenix and Las Vegas, which, in a desert eco-system, is criminal. Populations keep growing in these areas (Las Vegas is the fastest growing city in the U.S.), but reliable water sources do not. With the ongoing drought, I predict that sooner than later cities in the southwest will declare a moratorium on population numbers.
Water issues in the southwest have been, and still are, political hot-button issues. The city where I live actually has a moratorium on new water meters–if you buy property, you have to buy a property with an existing meter if you want water. At Grand Canyon’s south rim, all the hotels outside the park in the tourist area have their water TRUCKED in from Williams, which is about 60 miles away. There is no natural water source at Grand Canyon’s south rim. The park employees get their water from a spring on the north rim brought over by a pipeline. The city of Denver is suing the Colorado River Compact parties for their share of river water, which is already promised downstream to several different states in an agreement that was signed decades ago.
After living in the southwest for ten years, I can imagine a war over water. If the drought here continues, it may be entirely possible. Read Marc Reisner’s “Cadillac Desert.” You’ll be more worried than you ever were before.
I keep hearing this but from personal experience I don’t believe it.
When I have a bath, I fill the tub, scrub and relax, and then climb out.
When I have a shower and the drain clogs (the joys of long hair =P), I have to get out early or the tub will overflow.
Everyone I know reports similary data.
Just how short are these “average showers” this stat keeps talking about?
Look on the bright side. The water is only being “wasted” in human terms. If up to 1/3 of the water in England’s mains is escaping through leaky pipes, as the article states, where is it going? Back into the ground, right? I prefer to see it as an “unintended recharging of the aquifer.”
Enough cause to worry – could be the cause for the Third World War!!!