World Water Day on Tap

Celebrate World Water Day

22 March 2012

 Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to the following copyrighted material. For permission to reprint or excerpt it and/or link it to another website, contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com

Ever since the United Nations designated the first World Water Day in 1993 March 22, 2012, has been set aside to focus attention on the importance of fresh water and the need to sustainably manage the world’s water resources.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel learned that less than 1% of the world’s water is suitable for drinking. Currently more than two billion people do not have access to safe drinking water or sanitation. And by 2025 more than three billion people – close to half the world’s population – could suffer from water shortages. 

This lack of water not only affects the water available for drinking, but limits farmers’ abilities to grow enough food to eat or earn a living. In South Asia, East Asia and the Middle East many countries are already close to their resource limits.

The non-profit Surfrider Foundation, which is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches, supports World Water Day and the adoption of wise-use water management.

“Water is the foundation for all life on the planet,” says Matt McClain, Surfrider Foundation’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “Sadly, it only takes a few seconds to pollute water, spoiling it for everyone to use and enjoy.” 

Two corporate partners that have joined forces with the Surfrider Foundation to help promote World Water Day are GoPro, makers of the world’s most versatile camera, and shoe and sandal manufacturer Teva.

To generate water awareness, they created the 3 Second Movie Contest, asking people to submit a 3-second video with a water theme. You can check out the videos and see the winners on YouTube.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti agree that it’s more important than ever to conserve and protect our water supply.

Every single drop of water we use makes a difference

In the United States the average person uses 100-150 gallons of water each day. In Europe it’s 74 gallons; China 23 gallons; Africa 17 gallons.

Asia has 60% of the world’s population, but only 36% of the world's water…a problem that needs to be addressed sooner, rather than later, especially given its growing industrialization and shift from a rural environment to a metropolitan one. 

To safeguard our water supply, we all need to reduce our Water Footprint – the amount of water that we use each day…for drinking, cooking, cleaning, personal hygiene, home and garden, automobile maintenance, and more. 

• Using a low-flow faucet can save you 3.5 gallons per minute.
• Using a low-flow toilet can save nearly 5 gallons per flush.
• Using a low-flow shower head can reduce water usage by about 40%. 

Ten easy things you can do to stop wasting water

1. Check faucets and pipes for leaks – Even a small drip from a worn faucet washer can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day. 

2. Take shorter showers – Each minute you save can equal 10 or more gallons of water.

3. Turn off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth – Turning off the water while you brush helps to save over 150 gallons of water a month.

4. Check your toilets for leaks – You can do this by putting a little food coloring in your toilet tank. If the color starts to appear in the bowl later, you have a leak.

5. Take a look at your water meter to check for water leaks – If it reads differently before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used, there is a leak.

6. Use your dishwasher and clothes washer for only full loads. This could save 1000 gallons of water per month.

7. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator, rather than using running water to do it.

8. Use a broom, instead of a hose, to clean your driveway and sidewalk – This saves water and protects the downstream water quality.

9. Water your plants and landscaping in the morning or evening – this reduces water loss from evaporation.

10. Plant a low-water/low polluting “Ocean Friendly Garden” with drought-resistant plants and groundcover.  The Surfrider Foundation Huntington Beach/Seal Beach Chapter can tell you how to do it.

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