Quarantine and Water: A Stressful Relationship
by Joshua G. Pereira
If you're like the millions of Americans who are staying home and helping "flatten the curve", then we probably have a lot in common. For the past weeks, it seems as if my family and I have stayed glued to our electronic devices watching the news, attending lectures, and streaming an unprecedented amount of Netflix and Hulu. But, while we stay preoccupied with everything going on around us in the world, it is still important to pay attention to arguably one of Earth's most valuable resources: drinkable water.
With so many American families and individuals at home every day, combined with our nation's restricted working conditions, our water distribution centers and waste treatment plants are under incredible strain. It might be hard to tell, but one of our most valuable and essential resources is being overused and overstretched as we speak. But, the solution to decreasing the strain on our water infrastructure is far easier than you'd think...
If the average American turns off the faucet while they brush their teeth, they can save up to three to four gallons of water a day. That's incredible! But, what are three to four gallons a day going to do? Well, when you add those gallons up, your water savings can amount to more than 1,000 gallons per year! Now, just in case you're thinking "So what if it's just 1,000 gallons?", 1,000 gallons is about the size of a small, portable swimming pool. That's a lot!
Not only that, but there are also plenty of other ways to implement water conservation methods in our daily lives. On average, every American uses about 140-170 gallons of water a day. That includes brushing our teeth, showering, defrosting food, cooking, and every other little task that goes unnoticed during our daily lives. However, such numbers only reflect our habits outside of our nation's stay-at-home orders. Imagine where our water consumption levels are now....They are unhealthy for our planet, to say the least.
By implementing water conservation methods, we can easily get our water consumption numbers far lower than where they are now. Also, while it may not seem like it, water conservation is one of the most cost-effective methods of decreasing our water usage and it's arguably one of the easiest to implement! After all, it's free! By washing your fruits and vegetables in a pan instead of under the faucet, defrosting your frozen food in the refrigerator or on a counter top instead of in water, and by only boiling the water that you need, we can help extend the lifetimes of our water reservoirs, reduce our water usage, and even save some electricity. Yes! You heard me! Saving water saves electricity!
Right now, it's very clear to see that our ecosystems and air quality have started to recover recently as a result of the reduced carbon footprints that many countries now have as they have started to enforce stay-at-home orders, or "lock downs". However, with every additional lock down comes further water consumption and stress on our water treatment plants and/or water distribution centers...
Even as a global pandemic rages on, it is still our job to make sure that we take care of our natural resources. Across the country and globe, our natural ecosystems depend on the same lakes, rivers, and reservoirs that we depend on for our drinking water. Let us not forget that our actions still have consequences. If we can do our part to decrease our water consumption while saving a few extra dollars at the same time (Yes! Water conservation is free and it saves you money too!), then what reason do we have to avoid it?
We only have one Earth. During these uncertain times, it's important to make decisions that can not only help solve our current crises but prevent another one from happening in the future. Our planet is our universal home and water conservation can help us in ways that we could only imagine...
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Joshua G. Pereira
11th Grade, Project Manager
Generation-E