I encountered a piece of information last week that shocked me. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than 1.25 trillion gallons of water are being leaked out of U.S. homes on an annual basis. No, that is no typo ? 1.25 trillion is correct. It is enough water to supply the combined cities of Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami for an entire year.
Now, keep in mind that this is just the water that leaks out of private residences. It doesn”t include business and industry leakage, or the loss of water from the antiquated water supply infrastructure that, unfortunately, exists in many of our communities.
Here we are with the whole world supposedly making a huge effort at “going green” and we are wasting enough water from leaking faucets and toilets to provide water to several of this country”s largest cities. We are not being very good stewards of one of our most precious resources.
I was so affected by what I read that I called the plumber this week and had them fix a leaking water pipe and a dripping faucet here at the Record-Bee office. It was something I had been meaning to do, but it seemed so insignificant until I learned just how much the accumulated leakage effect really amounts to. I feel better for stopping the visible leaks here at our building and making a contribution to decreasing the national water waste problem.
The fact is that many people are going to have to make an effort in order to make any real impact on the over one-trillion gallon annual loss. The U.S. Government Accountability Office anticipates that 36 states will encounter water shortages over the next five years. Right here in Lake County, we are in the third year of drought. We will need every gallon of water that can be saved.
There are actually three positive impacts made when an individual resident or a business takes care of leaking faucets, toilets and pipes, or replaces old water fixtures with, new, water conservation (WaterSense) toilets and faucets. Less water is lost through leakage, less water is consumed because of more efficient products and the individual or business also saves money on the water bill.
Water used to be so cheap that no one seemed to care much if some leaked from a dripping faucet or if flushing the toilet used five gallons, instead of 1.28 gallons like today”s low flush toilets use. But, in an era where some people are saying “Water will soon be the new oil,” it makes sense to save as much as possible, to be both environmentally friendly and financially smart. It is estimated that a family can easily save 10 percent on water bills with just a few adjustments.
Aside from the air we breathe, there isn”t anything else on the planet as valuable to life as water. Throughout the history of people, water has always been a focal point. It has usually been a major consideration for the location of settlements that have grown into cities and access to it has been something that has been battled over.
With more than two-thirds of the Earth”s surface covered by water, it seems we long believed that we would never face shortages of water. But, with huge population growth, climate changes and excessive waste, fresh water isn”t as abundant as we thought. It is certainly time for everyone to get serious about water conservation.
Gary Dickson is the editor and publisher of the Record-Bee. Contact him at gdickson@record-bee.com or 263-5636, ext. 24.
