World Water Day 101

The world is experiencing a water crisis and has been for many decades. And to help fight this water crisis, the United Nations created World Water Day back in 1993, and it’s taken place every year since then on March 22.

That means World Water Day is coming up again soon, and we invite you to learn about this important day of observance and to find out what you can do to help fight the water crisis.

World Water Day and the Water Crisis 101

The water crisis, which is also called water scarcity, is a global problem that affects different people in different countries in different ways. In case you're not sure what the water crisis is, here are some statistics that will help explain it:

• A tenth of the world’s population lives without access to clean water
• A third of the world’s population lives without access to a toilet
• A fourth of the world’s population relies on contaminated drinking water that causes deadly diseases
• Half the world’s workers are employed in a field directly tied to water

World Water Day was created to help combat the water crisis, to spread information about water scarcity, to help explain conservation methods, and to draw attention to the causes of the water crisis, including wastewater, which is the theme of this year’s event.

Wastewater 101

The water crisis has many causes, but one of the major contributing factors is the amount of water that’s wasted worldwide from industrial, residential, and agricultural sources. In fact, over 80 percent of the water that humans use flows back into the environment untreated and non recycled, meaning it’s polluted, lacking vital nutrients, and not suitable for consumption.

While much of this underused wastewater comes from industry, cities, and homes are also a large source, which means there are things all of us can be doing to cut down on wastewater. At home, one of the biggest things you can do is to reuse more of your greywater—water from washing, cleaning and cooking—around the house, including in the garden.

Conservation 101

Along with finding suitable uses for greywater around the house, there are also lots of water-saving habits you can adopt that will cut down on the amount of water that’s wasted in the first place. Here are a few ways that your family can help save water:

In the bathroom: Take shorter showers, shut off the water when you're lathering up, turn off the taps when you're brushing your teeth, and flush the toilet less often.

With the plumbing system: Check for leaks regularly, fix leaks you find immediately, upgrade older fixtures with newer water-smart ones, install low-flow toilets, and never ignore a toilet that won’t stop running, as this can waste thousands of gallons of water each day.

In the kitchen: Only run the dishwasher when it’s full, don’t leave the water running when you're washing dishes, and reuse water from boiling to make soups.

Outside: Collect rainwater to use in the garden, use a waterless cleaner to wash the car, and consider re-planning your garden to include more xeriscaping techniques.

In the laundry room: Only run the washing machine when it’s full, or adjust the water level setting to match the load size.

The water crisis is a major global problem, and Bud's Plumbing & Repair Service is happy to be doing our part this year and to be telling all our valued customers in and around Evansville, IN about how to take part in this day of action. To discuss other water-saving habits your house can adopt, or to address a plumbing leak that needs to be addressed, call us today at 812-618-9638.