On World Water Day... Don't leave the water running!On the initiative of the United Nations, every March 22, World Water Day is celebrated, which seeks to draw attention to the importance of freshwater and the defence of the sustainable management of this important resource. Each year highlights a particular aspect related to water; this year’s theme is “Water and Energy.” Roughly 75% of all industrial water withdrawals are used for energy production.

The problem

If we take into consideration all the water on the planet, three quarters of the surface of the Earth is covered by water, of this, 97.5% is in the oceans and the remaining 2.5% is distributed among the glaciers, polar ice caps, soil, underground water, the atmosphere, rivers and lakes.

The amount of water that exists on the planet is invariable, while demand and pollution increase thereby creating a progressive trend toward scarcity. The availability of freshwater per capita has been declining over time, for example in the 70s water availability was 9000 m3/hab/year while in 2010 it was 8000 m3/hab/year and projections for 2050 estimate around 6000 m3/hab/year.

By 2020, the water supply of approximately 40 million people for human consumption, agriculture and hydropower could be at risk. This figure could rise to 50 million in 2050 due to the deglaciation of the Andes.

Quito, Lima and La Paz will probably be the most affected cities in the Andean region.

While in many natural environments water can be found freely, there are rural and urban areas where drinking water is more difficult to obtain.

Reasons for conserving water

As the population increases, there is a greater need for water. Lima, the most populous city of Peru, is home to 30.8% of the total population, that is 8,445,211 people (INEI, 2007) and, ironically, it is the second largest city built in a desert, after Cairo (Egypt). It is estimated that by 2020 Lima will have more than 10 million inhabitants.

In Lima, 75% of freshwater consumption is intended for domestic use, 11% to commercial consumption and 3% industrial.

One of the causes of water scarcity is waste. Each person in Lima, for example, consumes about 251 litres of water a day, twice what is consumed in Switzerland or France.

Ethical consumption is that which is exercised considering the options which are the fairest, the most responsible and the most ecological and not only in terms of personal gain.

In Peru in 2011, 76.2% of households were supplied with drinking water from the system to the public network connection (inside and outside the home), and pylon for public use. However, 23.8% of households still consume water from water trucks , wells, rivers or other forms.

65% of domestic consumption occurs in the bathroom followed by 20% in the clothes washing machine.

Water demand for population use is growing in Peru. The case of Lima is worrying, as demand reaches 30.8 m3/s, while its production capacity is only 20.7 m3/s. This generates a permanent deficit, mainly critical in summer. Source: Lima Como Vamos 2010.

How significant can individual savings be?

When we think about saving water we often think of the water we use for our personal hygiene, cooking our food or cleaning our homes, ie for our domestic consumption. But we rarely think about the volume of water used to produce the goods and services we consume, that is to say our water footprint. So let’s not just think of our direct consumption of this vital resource, but also of our indirect consumption.

About 2400 litres of water are needed to produce a cotton shirt, 5000 litres of water to produce 1 kg of cheese and 340 litres of water to produce a cup of coffee.

Goods such as food, clothing, cleaning supplies and personal care, cars, and other electronic devices we use every day require water for their production. Also, educational, financial, hospital, recreational or other services require water consumption. This means that not only do we have an impact on our direct water consumption, ie which goes down the drain, but also what we consume indirectly on buying for example a cup of coffee or a pair of shoes.

Now we can ask the question again, how significant can individual savings be?

Perhaps the answer leads us to the reflection: water that you don’t drink, do not let it run.

*Committing to the future *

The future of water depends on our individual actions either to reduce our domestic consumption in the office, in our study centre but also avoiding purchases of unnecessary products, or reducing consumption of products that we know require more water for their production.

Here are some tips for being more efficient in our water use:• Take shorter showers and turn off the water when you’re not using it. • If you do not have a saver toilet, try putting a bottle of 1 or 1.5 litres filled with water in the tank. • If you are planning to buy a new toilet, prefer a saving one or one with a dual flush system. • If you intend to change the water taps prefer the ones that are the most efficient. • Install saving devices such as flow restrictors, aerators or diffusers. • If you have a washer and it does not have an adjustable load, use it always full. • Consume what is necessary differentiate between what you need and what fashion imposes. • Prefer products and/or eco-efficient services. • If you have a garden or pots, water at night when the temperature drops it prevents water loss through evaporation. • Tell someone what you know, promote water conservation in your immediate environment.

Vocabulary:

Freshwater: living in or containing water that is not salty. Adjective

Highlights: to attract attention to or emphasize something important. Verb

Withdrawal: an act or process of withdrawing; retreat, removal, or detachment. Noun

Scarcity: a situation in which something is not easy to find or get. Noun

Consumption: the act of using, eating, or drinking something. Noun

Populous: A populous country, area, or place has a lot of people living in it. Adjective

Gain: the act of gaining; attainment; acquisition. Noun

Household : a group of people, often a family, who live together. Noun

Pylon: a tall metal structure to which wires carrying electricity are fixed so that they are safely held high above the ground. Noun

Main ideas:

In the 70s water availability was 9000 m3/hab/year while in 2010 it was 8000 m3/hab/year and projections for 2050 estimate around 6000 m3/hab/year. Quito, Lima and La Paz will probably be the most affected cities in the Andean region.

Each person in Lima consumes about 251 litres of water a day, twice what is consumed in Switzerland or France.

In Peru in 2011, 76.2% of households were supplied with drinking water from the system to the public network connection.

However, 23.8% of households still consume water from water trucks, rivers or other forms.

We rarely think about the volume of water used to produce the goods and services we consume. About 2400 litres of water are needed to produce a cotton shirt, 5000 litres of water to produce 1 kg of cheese and 340 litres of water to produce a cup of coffee.

The future of water depends on our individual actions either to reduce our domestic consumption in the office, in our study centre but also avoiding purchases of unnecessary products, or reducing consumption of products that we know require more water for their production.

Questions:

When is the World Water Day?

Which cities in the Andean region will be the most affected?

Do you know how many litres of water are needed to produce your clothes and food?

Committing to the future of world water, what kind of things do you have to do and don’t?