by Josh Berg

Created on: May 25, 2010

Human water consumption has seemed to gain a lot of popularity in recent years. As the population of the world increases exponentially, the consumption of water is going to continue to raise at an alarming rate. Our world is roughly 70% water but in no way does that mean that we do not need to curb our consumption. 

The main uses for water come in our daily lives, as do the main wasters of water. Think about it for a minute. If one were to leave the sink running during the time it took them to brush their teeth then the amount of water that they waste would be enough for them to satisfy their water consumption needs for the entire day. Almost everything we do deals with water. From washing out dishes to washing our clothes, and even to washing ourselves. When you go and take a shower, the shower will spit out about 2.6 gallons per minute according to regulations on shower heads. 2.6 gallons is more than any one person is able to consume in one day. Think about that the next time you take an extra 5 minutes in the shower. 

Washing our clothes is another place that water gets used a lot. Think about all the times that we could have worn a pair of pants or a shirt over again but instead we just toss it into the wash. I have even seen some people who have put as little in the washing machine as a pair of shorts only because that is what they intended on wearing the next day.

The big spot where water gets wasted is when watering lawns. We all love to have the colorful lawn and garden surrounding our homes so we supply those plants with vital water when Mother Nature is not able to do it by herself. The fact is, soil and plants can only absorb water at a limited rate. That means when we go out and turn on the sprinkler to water our lawn for half an hour, the lawn and plants are only absorbing a fraction of the water that hits them. The rest of the water is runoff and completely wasted. The best way to save water when taking care of your lawn is to water for 15 minutes then let it rest for a while and then water another 15 minutes. That way the plants are absorbing a higher percentage of the water. Numbers do matter! 

At any rate, water is being wasted a lot by almost everyone that uses running water. Water consumption needs to be drastically reduced as it puts a massive strain on our environment. 

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