Everyone knows that water has a very important role in our lives. We know water is easily available for us to use. We know it is one of the most essential needs in all living things in order to survive. But, do we really know that you can’t survive without water? Yes, we do, but we often don’t care about it like misusing water. 

Let’s see how much percent of the water we can actually use. On Earth, there is 97% saltwater which really limits our options and there is only 3% of freshwater. But out of that 3%, we can only use 1.2% as drinking water because the rest are stuck in glaciers, ice caps, underground, lakes, and rivers. Knowing this, we need to conserve it as the population is rising every day. 

Water Uses

Now let’s see how we use our water. Of course, drinking water is one the most important uses of water to survive because on average, a person can survive without water for 3 days only. Other uses include:

• – Electricity
• – Agriculture
• – Domestic uses like cooking, washing clothes, and etc.
• – Industries like fertilizers 
• – Wildlife

Misuses of Water

As you see there are many uses for water. Since every day the population is increasing, it is important not to waste water. We need to use water the right amount so we don’t run out of water. We sometimes misuse water like when:

• – Brushing your teeth, and you keep the water running which is wasting two gallons of water per minute. 
• – Other factors include long showers
• –  Leaky pipes
•  – Washing dishes while the water is running 
• – Using the dishwasher when it’s not full (You waste about 25 gallons of water).
• – Loading the laundry when it is not full, and many more. 

There are countless ways of wasting water every day but the ones that I listed above are how we are wasting water in our own house. In my personal experience, this has been a huge problem for me. I used to waste many gallons of water like when I played with my friends with water balloons. Then I became aware of this issue as there was a presentation by speakers who came to our school to talk about this. I was truly inspired by them and wanted to contribute as well. I followed their advice and how to reduce the amount of water that we are wasting. 

How Can We Help?

As each day is passing by, many other people are trying to make others aware of this issue. We can help too by:

• – Taking shorter showers
• – Take baths but a partially filled tub
• – Turn off the water while brushing your teeth
• – Only use the dishwasher when it is full
• – Check for leaks
• – Plant more trees

 As you read of the many uses of water, the number one use of water will always be to drink water. We always need to stay hydrated or else our body temperature will not regulate, organs will not function properly, and many other health conditions. It’s important to drink enough water every day and not wastewater. There are many other people who are not able to access water in many parts of the world.

Water is required to live on Earth. If we do not have water, then human beings, animals, plants, and many other living things will go extinct. Earth will not be the same if there is no water. Even if water is not scarce, we still need to conserve water. Water is essential for all living things. Thank you.