SMALL TIPS THAT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
Every household can save 1,500 litres of water daily
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Myra Imran
Islamabad
Gone are the days when wasting water was considered bad manners. Many of us still remember our elders advising children to close the tap when not needed. Especially during ablution, the elders used to make sure that children are not wasting water as they said that it was prohibited in Islam. There was no water crisis at that time and the only motivation was to teach good manners to next generation.
Unfortunately, things are opposite today. Pakistan, already plagued by widespread water shortages, is expected to become water-scarce by 2035 — though some experts project this may happen as soon as 2020, if not earlier. According to official statistics, around 35 per cent of our population is already deprived of clean drinking water.
On the other hand, those who are blessed with the facility in abundance have no idea how important it is to conserve water for the future. Neither anyone has time or realisation to follow the small tips that can save water nor do they teach their children to do the same for the larger benefit of the country.
Some interesting information disseminated under a recent mass awareness campaign for 'Water Conservation and Development (MAWCD)' launched by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) shows that a household can save an average of 1,500 litres of water every day by being just a little careful while using water.
For kitchen, these tips include steps like closing the tap while applying soap to the dishes, using a separate bowl or a basin to dip dirty dishes in soap and water so that less water is used in rinsing and avoid wasting water in rinsing cloths by using buckets instead of tap. It also urges housewives to use broom or mop instead of throwing a bucket full of water on the floors.
It says that instead of water pipe, using buckets to wash floor of a room saves 150 litres of water per day that makes saving 450 litres for the whole house every day. Similarly, washing clothes through buckets or washing machines instead of tap water can save 90 litres per day that makes 2,700 litres per month.
For the chores related to cooking and dish washing, a normal household uses 320 litres daily, which can be reduced to 120 litres if some simple directions are followed like closing the tap when not needed. That way, a household can save 240 litres per day that makes 7,200 litres per month.
"Don't let the hose run while washing your car. Use bucket of water and a sponge or cloth and wash your car near the lawn or grassy area so that extra water can be used for irrigation," the broacher about domestic tips for saving water further mentions.
Providing some more useful information regarding conservation of water, it says that lawn should be watered only when it is needed and that too at night or dawn with a hose fitted with sprinklers or hand sprinklers instead of water pipes. "Do not water the sidewalks or driveways," it points out as usually people start sprinkling the water on the driveway and sideways while watering the garden.
It says that an average of 200 litres of water can be saved by each household every day through fixing leaking taps, faulty washers and plumbing joints and a similar amount can be saved by avoiding overflow of the water tank. It advises public to install instruments that warn users about the water tank overflow by indication such as red light or alarm.
The information points out that every individual wastes an average of 20 litres of water while brushing teeth and 25 litres of water while shaving as they let water run throughout the process. It suggests that shower should not accede 4 minutes or at least it should be closed while applying shampoo. Every household can save 200 litres per day by following conservation tips only in washrooms.
These statistics clearly reveal that every household can play very important role in saving water for the coming generations. If every individual starts realising his or her responsibility in this direction, we, as a nation, can surely tame down the devastating impact of looming water crisis in the future.