Drinking Water: We Need Water Conservation

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Our planet is covered with water. More than 70 % of the Earth’s surface is covered with lapping tides or splashing waves. However, most of the water that covers Earth’s surface contains salt “Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink”(Coleridge). This quote from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner illustrates the reality of our water situation here on Earth. The sea of water that surrounds us seems abundant enough to last forever, but it isn’t something we can actually use to sustain ourselves. What every human, and the great majority of living organisms on Earth, need to survive is a source of fresh water - commonly called drinking water. We build our cities around rivers, lakes ands streams because drinking water is essential to our survival and our societal needs. Nowadays, most Americans’ access to drinking water has become numbingly simple. With the turn of a handle, we have a seemingly infinite supply of fresh, clean water right out of the taps in our homes! We are so very fortunate to be able to live in such comfort, yet so very unfortunate as to be living with this ignorant belief that our freshwater supply is endless. It is not endless. Freshwater is a renewable resource, but only so long as we don’t over-use or pollute it. Currently, Americans are doing both. However, we are also learning more about conservation and creating new technology that can help us preserve our precious freshwater. Perhaps in the near future, we will all be more aware of this precious resource that we all depend on to survive.

If one looks at the actual amount of fresh water on this planet, suddenly our supply doesn’t seem nearly so endless. It is true that more than 70% of Earth’s crust is covered in water, but it has been found that ...

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