Annually, about 900 billion gallons of water are wasted through household leaks. This volume of water wasted can cater to the annual water needs of 11 million homes in the United States.
Saving water preserves the environment and ensures water is available during emergencies like droughts. In addition, it allows essential services that need large amounts of water to run, such as hospitals, gyms, restaurants, gas stations, and firefighters, to do their work.
By regulating how you use water, you save energy and protect the ecosystem by ensuring animals and plants do not go extinct.
In this article, we will highlight some of the reasons why saving water is good for the environment.
Every living thing relies on water
Water is a limited resource, and its supply continues to reduce as a result of climate change. Although 70% of the earth is covered in water, only 3% of this water is fresh and usable.
Apart from human beings, other species on the planet rely on water to survive. For example, endangered species need good water to stay alive and avoid going extinct. By conserving water, these species have higher chances to survive.
Water-saving techniques can cut down the amount of water that goes into rivers and bays, which will keep the environment healthy. This also prevents environmental pollution and keeps the seas and oceans at normal levels.
In addition, plants and animals need water. So when you save water, you help maintain balance in the ecology.
Saving water is climate-friendly
Water is one of the reasons why the earth is livable for humans and other species. But, unfortunately, climate change is disrupting the flow of water through waterways and the atmosphere.
To save our planet, we must adopt eco-friendly systems in our daily activities. The energy required to produce clean and safe water has adverse effects on the climate through greenhouse gas emissions.
The impact on climate has led to increased water pollution, rising sea levels, changes in rainfall, etc. By saving water, the energy cost will reduce, reducing carbon emissions released to the atmosphere.
For example, pumping water and transferring water for household use requires massive amounts of energy. The energy consumed will significantly reduce when you implement smart, water-saving choices and demand much less water.
In addition, water conservation ensures that there is less wastewater. Ultimately, saving water means reducing carbon emissions, conserving energy, and protecting our planet.
Conserving water extends water supply to areas with limited supply
Saving water can increase the water available for use, which we can transfer to communities in dire need. The water helps these communities keep their farmlands alive and ensure that the lack of water does not ruin their environment.
When you turn the knob of your tap in the kitchen, there is every chance that water will flow. This is the ideal situation, but millions of households do not have access to water, especially in poor communities.
The amount of fresh water available is extremely limited. As the human population continues to increase, scarcity of good water has become a significant problem.
Saving water means saving money.
Saving water reduces water bills and the amount spent on wastewater treatment.
Between 2010 and 2018, water bills rose in the U.S by at least 27%. As of 2019, an average U.S family of four pays about 73 U.S dollars based on whether each person used 100 gallons per day.
Unfortunately, many households may not afford the rise in water bills in years to come. However, if you begin to manage water and avoid wastages, your water bills will reduce significantly.
In addition, wastewater treatment is expensive, and by reducing wastewater flows, you lessen its impacts on the environment.
Agriculture needs water to thrive.
As a result of population growth and urbanization, there is fierce competition for water. With such a high population, by 2050, agricultural production is expected to expand by 70%.
Water is essential to the development and expansion of agriculture. Moreover, due to natural disasters such as drought, saving water will ensure that we can combat such tragedies successfully without worrying about their impact on agriculture and food security.
Growing food and crops requires a large amount of water which must be accessible at all times. Also, trees that contribute to the wellness of the planet need water to survive. Saving water supports the trees, which give us more water for agriculture.
Conserving water reduces water scarcity
As rains continue to decrease and water sources shrink due to climate change, there is no better time to form the habit of saving water.
According to scientists, nearly half of the 204 freshwater basins in the United States may not meet their monthly water demand by 2071.
Water scarcity will negatively impact households and businesses. But we can control the impact by minimizing water consumption. By avoiding scarcity, the environment will remain safe for all.
Saving water saves energy
By conserving water, you can reduce the risk of environmental pollution and also save energy. When the demand for water production lowers, greenhouse gas emissions will reduce too.
The water you use in your home is treated. Unfortunately, the process of treating the water uses a lot of energy. This means that the more water you use, the more energy is used, which leads to pollution.
Also, understanding the relationship between using less water and reducing energy usage is critical to prioritizing water conservation.
Saving water preserves aquatic life
The way you use water affects the water quality of the water available to preserve aquatic life.
For example, your wastewater goes through septic systems to treatment plants. When there is an overuse of water, these systems are overwhelmed, leading to system failures such as leakages.
When this happens, this wastewater can find its way into the ocean through local waterways. This will pollute the aquatic ecosystem and put the lives of the species living there in danger.
By regulating your water usage, you ensure that these septic systems are not overloaded and the aquatic life is not endangered.
Save water to support essential services
Firefighters cannot do their job without water. Restaurants need water to cook. Hospitals use water to keep things running. By ensuring that these services function adequately, the environment benefits from the outcome of their work.
All these institutions use large volumes of water to continue delivering their services to the community. By cutting down on water usage, you ensure that a lack of access to water does not disrupt these services.
For example, firefighters can stop fire outbreaks that could cause problems to people's health and the environment.
Water conservation slows down the use of unsustainable processes
The current machines and infrastructures used to process water rely on fossil fuels. Apart from the fact that they are not environmentally friendly, they are not efficient enough to meet the growing water demands.
By cutting down your water usage, the demand to process more will reduce significantly. This will also mean that there will be less pollution from fossil fuel-powered machines.
Many places may experience severe droughts in years to come, leading to many households and businesses not having access to water. There is, therefore, an urgent need to make the processes more environmentally friendly.
Conclusion
The environmental benefits of saving water include saving energy, protecting aquatic life, extending water supply to areas lacking, and ensuring agricultural production thrive.
As the impact of climate change continues to threaten the environment, water-saving systems have become crucial to protecting our environment.
Use these easy ways to save water and protect the environment.