Water as a Precious Resource

Water is one of the most precious resources that human beings cannot do without. As opposed to other valuable minerals and natural resources, water is an essential component of human daily survival. Despite the clear knowledge of the essence of water and its scarcity, human beings continue to deplete the vital resource through misuse. This act can be considered as one of the most irresponsible behaviors of mankind that threatens their survival. One can hardly enumerate the functions of water. The preciousness of water as a resource is evident in the fact that people utilize large amounts of water every day.

Humans use water for drinking, taking a shower, washing dishes, preparing diner, flushing the toilet among other purposes. Besides the domestic functions of water, people also employ it in agriculture and other industries. In the agricultural sector, people utilize it to water crops. In relation to other industries, people use it as an ingredient of the products that are produced. They use it in the production process for cooling purposes as well. Water is also used for transportation of raw materials, for boiling, as a cleaning agent and for product transport by shipping (Washington State Department of Ecology, 2014).

Due to its scarcity, it is prudent for humans to devise ways to conserve the limited supply of water; failure to do so can impose undesirable consequences on the whole society. It is vital to note that the future generations will largely depend on water just as the current generation does (Washington State Department of Ecology, 2014). As such, it is necessary to consider various preservative and conservative methods that can help to prevent water misuse and depletion. In this way, mankind will sustain the precious resource.

The importance of water as a resource is also evident in the varied functions that water serves in human daily life. On the average, a family of four may use about 400 gallons of water per day for indoor purposes alone. This can account for about 70 per cent of water that a family utilizes per day as the rest of percentage is allocated to other functions like watering flowers. Looking at the indoor water functions, the bathroom and the toilet are the largest consumers of water: they are capable of using about 27 per cent of all water used by an ordinary family (WaterSense, 2014). Unfortunately, in most cases, humans fail to value the water resource by efficiently utilizing the available supply. Careless and irresponsible use of water remains as the main cause of water depletion.

There are a number of ways through which humans can change their habits in order to avoid water misuse without substantially affecting human comfort. First, it is necessary to take caution about the way people use water for indoor purposes. Research shows that standard toilets can use about 1.6 gallons of water per flush while older ones utilize about 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. Due to this disparity, it is essential for people to replace the old models with a WaterSence labeled toilet that uses about 1.28 gallons per flush. It means the measure is capable of reducing the amount of water wasted by 20 per cent. It is also essential to be responsible by checking for and sealing any leaks (WaterSense, 2014).

Second, WaterSense (2014) states that it is necessary to replace showerheads with WaterSense labeled models that can effectively help a family to save large volumes of water per day. The WaterSense labeled models are known for their high performance. They are readily available in different styles and prices. Using them can help families to save up to 20 gallons of water that would have been wasted daily otherwise.

Third, it is necessary for one to turn off the bathroom faucet taps when brushing teeth or shaving. The bathroom faucet uses about two gallons of water per minute, hence turning off the tap can help save half the amount of water per day. The WaterSence labeled models are also applicable in this situation. It is necessary to replace the aerators and faucets with WaterSense labeled models so as to avoid water wastage (WaterSense, 2014).

There are several other opportunities that people can undertake to save water. For example, Mandal (2006) advices that when using water to wash dishes, it is necessary to have the sink or the washing bowl filled with water and then ensure the tap is closed. This helps in saving nearly ten gallons as opened taps can use up to 20 gallons of water in a single day. Utilizing high-efficiency washing machines can help to conserve about ten gallons of water per load. The traditional models are known to be using at least 27 gallons of water for every load. Obviously, using front loading or top loading washing machines ensures efficiency and water conservation as they use less than 27 gallons of water per load.

For outdoor water use, people waste approximately about 50 per cent of water to evaporation and run-off. To solve this problem, it is vital to contact a WaterSense landscape irrigation professional to help in installing and upgrading the irrigation system. This can help to save about 8,000 gallons of water every day. Watering using sensors and weather-based technology provides an opportunity to perform watering based on the weather condition as it shuts off when it rains. One can also employ a hose timer that helps to prevent overwatering. It is also advisable to harvest rain water for use on the landscape as a move towards water conservation (Washington State Department of Ecology, 2014).

In the case of industrial and commercial business, it is necessary to save water by replacing inefficient equipment. If to replace old fixtures and upgrade irrigation systems, one can conserve much water. Another way to save water is by finding ways to re-use water (Washington State Department of Ecology, 2014).