One of our planet’s most precious and important resources is water. This is the substance that sustains life, and it is what our planet is largely made out of.
The Earth is roughly 71 percent water, and our bodies follow suit ranging between 50 and 65 percent water. As such, the human need for water is one of the driving forces for manipulating our environment in order to suit our need for survival.
As time has progressed, more and more people are becoming environmentally conscientious. Water conservation efforts are continuously making gains, and knowledge of this conservation is impacting the way people use water, particularly in places where water resources are scarce.
It’s important to be educated about water and to understand what you can do to help conserve our planet’s most valuable natural resource.
What is Water Conservation?
When some people hear the word “conservation,” they immediately think of environmentalism. However, being an environmentalist and practicing conservation are two entirely different things.
Water conservation is nothing more than the careful use and preservation of a water supply. This doesn’t always need to be applied on a large-scale basis. For example, a normal everyday person doesn’t have to save an entire ocean to be considered a conservationist, nor do they have to meet certain standards.
Your own careful practices for preserving your own water supply is an act of conservation. And this can be done through several methods.
How Can I Conserve Water?
There are several methods that one can utilize for aiding in the conservation of water. Some methods are as simple as calling a local, licensed plumber to help you make necessary hardware changes. If you take the steps to become a plumber, you’ll definitely know even more efficient ways to conserve water.
Using low-flow hardware in your home is one of the best ways to help conserve water. A few hardware solutions are as follows:
- Faucet Aerators
- Low Flow Shower Heads
- Removing Water Access Points
- Smaller Water Tanks
- Dual Flush Toilets
- Minimizing Shower Time
- Minimizing Watering the Lawn
No matter which methods you choose, or if you choose to do all of them, every little bit is helpful towards the efforts of water conservation.
Recognizing Water Issues
While a plumber can better assist you, as far as what type of hardware and plumbing systems are optimized for water conservation, you’re going to be the one who needs to recognize water issues in your own home.
Water issues are often simple to fix and include things like fixing slow leaks, looking for leaks, and preventative maintenance. However, some water issues aren’t as easily recognizable. Water contamination is also a big problem as water pollution is exceedingly common in many communities, particularly regarding urban living in close proximity with others.
If you suspect that you have contaminated water in your area, you should report this immediately to your city’s public works department. These individuals will know exactly how to test for contaminated water and will be able to fix the problem at its source.
Testing Water
Thankfully, you don’t need a Ph.D. in Hydrology to test your own water. While finding out exactly what contaminants are present in the water will probably take some lab work, taking a sample is very easy.
If you suspect contaminated water, take a small sample in a clean, sealable jar. You can use PH testing strips to see if there’s a high acidity present in the water, or other testing strips to check for the presence of toxins.
Regardless, taking your samples to a lab or to your city public works department will alert the proper people to your water problems, and is the best way to be sure if you suspect that you have contaminated water.
Water is our most valuable resource, and like all other natural resources on this planet, we only have a finite amount of water available for human consumption.
Only .5 percent of the water on our planet is drinkable and accessible. With this number in mind, it gives you all the more reason to help conserve this vital resource in order for your future generations to prosper as well.