Water is a resource that has been an integral part of society since the inception of civilized life. It is impossible for humans to survive without water to drink, cook, and use in industries. Since the start of the industrial revolution and the creation of machines that have made our lives easier, we have been using large amounts of water carelessly. Today, we are dangerously close to no longer having enough water for everything it is used for. We are draining aquifers in the ground at too fast of a rate and for them to be replenished, we are creating dams and ruining natural ecosystems, and are sucking rivers and lakes dry. If we continue down this road, we will be in big trouble very fast.
In San Diego County, California, some laws have been put in place to coerce people to conserve water. These laws include only allowing households to water their lawns three days a week and during certain hours, restaurants should not serve water to patrons unless they specifically ask for it, and water is not allowed to run off of a person’s property. I believe this is a good start to conserving water but further steps need to be taken. People need to be encouraged, if not required to make additional changes to their lifestyles. Taking shorter showers, turning the water off when brushing teeth and flushing toilets less often are things that people should do, but cannot be regulated by governments. It can be required though, for people to change fixtures in their houses to low flow and water saving faucets and fixtures.
In addition to convincing people to make changes in their lives, the government can also begin to start programs to replenish our sources of water. Using recycled wastewater, also called greywater, to replenish important aquifers is one way of doing this. Also, if households install greywater recycling systems, they can use their recycled waste water for gardening and irrigation and thus reducing the amount of water used.
If our government and citizens take into consideration and begin to make these changes, it will allow future generations to build off of our actions until water conservation becomes an everyday practice.
