Even though about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, less than 1 percent is available for human use. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that the finite sources of water are being diverted, depleted , and polluted so fast that by 2025, two thirds of the world’s population will be living in a state of serious water deprivation.
Fortunately, the City of Raleigh has ample rainfall in most years and two water supply watersheds to capture water for our use and consumption. The average household however, uses about 400 gallons of water per day, and it makes sense for all of us to understand the importance of both water efficiency and conservation and take positive actions to reduce use of water in our homes, outdoors, and at work.
Water efficiency and conservation are often used interchangeably, however, they do have subtle differences. Water efficiency generally refers to technological changes such as upgrading to a high efficiency showerhead, while conservation reflects behavioral changes such as taking shorter showers.
WaterSense is a good resource for helping us to save water and find water-efficient products that meet EPA’s criteria for efficiency and performance (https://www.epa.gov/watersense/about-watersense).
We can all exercise greater care in how we use water. The next theme for Nativity’s program Restoring God’s Earth: A Year of Personal Action will feature water efficiency and conservation. Tips for ensuring a more sustainable water future will be posted on our website, www.zerowastechurch.org in August 2018.