Preventing the waste of domestic water: Everyone's responsibility

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infectious diseases caused by lack of water and unsanitary living conditions kill one newborn every minute. The worst thing is that the world's clean water resources are gradually depleting. In fact, nearly 70% of the earth's surface is covered by water, but only 2.5% is pure water suitable for consumption. Therefore, water is an important resource that needs to be preserved first.

In Vietnam, during the dry season, the Central and Central Highlands provinces often face serious water shortages, affecting daily life and production. In Hanoi alone, data from the Department of Construction shows that the city's water supply system is operating at nearly full capacity, with more than 1.6 million cubic meters per day. At peak times, the risk of clean water shortages will occur in downstream areas or areas with high terrain such as Ha Dong, Thach That, Quoc Oai or Thanh Oai.

In addition, there are still about 59,000 households with more than 236,000 people, distributed in 67 communes and towns in rural areas of Hanoi, who do not have access to a centralized clean water source. Many people share that they have to use coarse sand filters and small filters to filter domestic water, but are still not confident when using it for drinking. According to recommendations from health experts, using water from uncontrolled sources poses many risks such as arsenic, ammonium, pathogenic microorganisms, etc., especially in areas with polluted or over-exploited groundwater.

Sadly, while many places are struggling with a lack of water for daily use, in many other places, clean water is being used indiscriminately and wastefully. For example, Mr. Dang Minh Quang's family (in Long Bien district, Hanoi) had a leaking water pipe for nearly 3 months, and the water bill tripled. However, thinking that the water was cheap, the family did not call a technician to check it. It was only when the water seeped into the walls of the house, affected the electrical lines, and caused a short circuit in the family's electronic equipment that he hired a technician to check and repair it.

Not only that, using clean water to wash cars, water plants, water the yard to cool down... also causes a large amount of water loss. Mr. Au Loc (in Quoc Oai district, Hanoi) said that every day his father watered the plants twice with a tap water, even sprayed the porch to cool down. It is estimated that each time like that can waste up to 300 liters of water, equivalent to the amount of water a family in a drought-stricken area uses in more than a week... There are many cases of wasteful use of clean water, but these families all "click their tongues" and say it is not worth it, but they are taking away clean water for families downstream...

To combat water waste, we must first change our awareness and actions. Seemingly simple things like turning off the faucet when brushing our teeth, installing water-saving devices such as low-water showerheads, dual-flush toilets, washing machines with energy-saving modes, or using laundry detergent to clean the house, watering plants early in the morning or late in the afternoon to reduce evaporation, and periodically checking equipment and pipes, etc. all contribute to saving a significant amount of water each day.

Along with the actions of the people, experts said that the authorities need to have measures to inspect and monitor the water supply system more closely, and strictly handle acts that cause leakage, loss or discharge that pollute water sources. Investing in upgrading infrastructure, expanding the water supply network and applying new technology to reuse wastewater is also a necessary direction in the coming time. In addition,education and communication play a key role. Integrating knowledge about protecting water resources into the curriculum, organizing community communication campaigns, and launching water saving movements will help raise awareness and create a strong spread in society.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/chong-lang-phi-nuoc-sinh-hoat-trach-nhiem-khong-cua-rieng-ai-705409.html