On average, Americans use 159 gallons of water a day – more than 15 times that of the average person in the developing world. Today is Blog Action Day and the topic is water. Our overuse of water in America is. embarrassing. My mother-in-law, who lives in North Carolina, is always talking of droughts. Our lawn this year was a brown mess by summer’s end, because we chose to limit our watering. (Our neighbors lawns looked fine.) That said, our upstairs toilet is huge, wasting more water per flush than it needs. Many are aware of their water-wasting and are beginning to do something about it. In fact, we are legislating change but it’s really not enough.
Just as I stopped taking brown paper bags and handfuls of napkins from delis years ago, I need to think more about flushing and ablutions and showering. No brainer. What the future holds in store for us are two kinds of water in America: potable water and non-potable. Non-potable water will be used to wash clothes, cars, flush toilets and water lawns. It will probably be recycled water or slightly desalinated from the coast. The good stuff will be for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth. (And hopefully in the preparation of beer.)
We have lots to do, so let’s start now. If you’ve ever been really, really thirsty you know how special water is. Please celebrate it and treat it as precious. Save a cup today. Peace!