Why Water Conservation?
By Susan Ecker
Rumsey Engineers Inc.
More and more frequently people ask me the question, "Why water conservation?" Some frame the question this way: "I don't pay for the water I use directly so whether I use more or less water, I pay the same amount; so why should I conserve?" What follows is my answer to this question.
Without water conservation the United States may not be able to meet its future water demands. Reducing water use, waste and loss can provide many benefits. Water conservation can
- reduce production costs
- save water resources for future generations
- protect water quality and the environment
- expand the life of existing supplies
These reasons for conservation could be explored, but a discussion of drought provides a better illustration of the water situation. Many parts of the United States are experiencing varying degrees of drought. If you don't live in a part of the country or the world that is experiencing a drought, it may be difficult to understand the importance of conserving water. Humans can live without many things, but we cannot survive without clean drinking water.
Water facts (compiled from the American Water Works Association)
- Without water, the earth would look like the moon.
- All living things need water to live. People can live several weeks without food but only a few days without water.
- Water makes up 83% of our blood, 70% of our brains and 90% of our lungs. Overall, our bodies are 70% water.
- About 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water. Ninety-seven percent of the water on the earth is salt water. Humans cannot drink salt water. Although the salt can be removed from water, it is a difficult and expensive process.
- Two percent of the water on Earth is glacier ice at the North and South Poles. This ice is fresh water and could be melted; however, it is too far away from highly populated areas to be usable.
- Less than 1% of all the water on Earth is fresh water that we can actually use. We use this small amount of water for drinking, heating and cooling, industry, agriculture and many other purposes.
What is drought?
“A drought is a period of abnormally dry weather occurring when the average rainfall for a region drops far below the normal amount for a long time. Higher than normal temperatures usually occur during drought periods. The severity of the drought depends upon the degree of moisture deficiency and on the duration and the size of the affected area.
"Drought impacts can be economic, social and environmental. Lack of rain and increased temperatures cause stress on both rural agricultural and urban metropolitan areas. Unusual periods of rain-free weeks can spread panic and shrivel crops. Wells, lakes and streams begin to dry up. People are directed to stop washing cars, to cease watering lawns and to employ other water saving measures. Plants and farm crops eventually wither and then die. Animals suffer and may even die because of extreme drought. Forest and grass fires occur more frequently and can spread quickly if dry, arid conditions continue. Absence of moisture and plant life reduction can lead to increased wind erosion. More weeks and months without sufficient rainfall coupled with wind and sunshine can begin to turn a forest into desert."
Georgia: Case study
Many parts of the United States are experiencing drought conditions, but none have been more publicized than the drought in Georgia, which receives an average of 60 inches of water annually and has historically been considered a water-rich state. Recently, however, Georgia has experienced drought conditions throughout most of the state.
Georgia's population is increasing, available water supplies are staying constant and new supplies are becoming more cost prohibitive to develop. It has become necessary to ensure that water is used efficiently to extend the life of existing water supplies and to defer the cost of developing new ones.
In October, MSNBC reported, "More than a quarter of the Southeast is covered by an 'exceptional' drought - the National Weather Service's worst drought category. The Atlanta area, with a population of 5 million, is smack in the middle of the affected region, which encompasses most of Tennessee, Alabama and the northern half of Georgia, as well as parts of North and South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia.
"In April, Georgia was placed under statewide water restrictions that limited outdoor watering to three days a week. By May, Atlanta allowed watering only on weekends, and, in September, environmental officials banned virtually all outdoor watering through the northern half of the state. ... Restaurants have been asked to serve water only at a customer's request, and the governor called on residents to take shorter showers."
As of December 21, 2007, Georgia Faces was reporting, 'If Georgia doesn't receive adequate rainfall over the next three to four months, drought conditions in summer and fall next year will likely be worse than those in 2007. Drought conditions will persist across regions of the state currently in drought and likely expand statewide by spring.'"
According to the National Weather Service, "The forecast continues to indicate persisting drought across the Southeast through March 2008, with the odds favoring expansion into Florida and southeastern Georgia. Precipitation totals for 2007 were around 15 inches below normal in many of the exceptional drought areas that stretched across portions of Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas. Despite recent rainfall, the ongoing La Nina is expected to bring abnormally mild and dry weather to the region for most of the winter." Drought can happen in any part of the country, and you never know when Mother Nature will turn green grasses into browned-out grasses.
Conclusion
In order to show what drought is all about, the drought in Georgia should have been front-page news across the country. Sometimes, people need to see a picture in order to feel the full impact of a situation. As plumbing engineers, we should constantly be looking for ways that we can incorporate water conservation into our designs. As I watched the story of the Georgia drought unfold on cable television, I heard that people were purchasing and installing low flow plumbing fixtures, including dual flush toilets, low flow showerheads and low flow faucets. I thought to myself, Why must we have drought conditions before people will conserve this most precious of resources?