Most people think of the zero waste movement in terms of refusing plastic bags and disposable straws and fitting your garbage in a mason jar – but zero waste extends beyond just these forms of waste. Yeah, plastic is bad for the planet and filling a fifty-five gallon trash can every week is really bad for the planet, but those aren’t the only forms of waste – they are just the most obvious because they are the kinds of waste we can see.

Another form of waste that we all need to be more mindful of [myself included, but I’ll get to that in a minute] is water waste.

But why is wasting water a big deal? If you live in an industrialized country like the US and water flows freely from every tap in every building, and free water fountains can be found in every business, and a gazillion cases of water bottles are for sale in every store, then it is easy to feel like water is an abundant and readily available resource.

But au contraire.

[Fun fact: I actually grew up in Flint, Michigan, which was all over the news in 2016 for having its own water crisis – proving that the water issues are not only for people in the developing world. Water is a necessity for every human being’s survival and it only takes one bad politician’s stupid decision to bring a water crisis very close to home…literally.]

The Water Crisis

Several years ago, I watched an episode of the Netflix docuseries Explained entitled “The World’s Water Crisis.” Call me ignorant, but I think that was the first time that it really struck me that water is an invaluable resource – and that we may someday run out of it.

[The episode is still on Netflix – I highly recommend watching it.]

Since that time, water has been on my mind. How do we protect this commodity? How do we ensure access for all of humanity? How do we respond to increased demand from industry and agriculture and manufacturing and increased populations? How do we manage the water?!?

Right now, there are over half a billion people on the planet who do not have access to safe water. And unclean water is one of the leading causes of death for children under five in developing countries. And, honestly, with pollution increasing and the population increasing and the global temperature increasing leading to severe weather like droughts – we’ve got to get a handle on this water problem…and FAST.

Here’s some quick stats about the water on our blue planet:

• 70% of the planet is covered with water, but less than 3% is fresh and less than 1% is fit for consumption.
• 785 million people on earth don’t have access to safe water. [Charitywater.org]
• Nearly 1 million people die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene- related diseases. [Water.org]
• Every day, 6,000 children die of water-related diseases. Young children are the first to get sick and die from waterborne and sanitation-related illnesses—including diarrhoeal diseases and malaria. [UNICEF.org]
• By 2050, at least 1 in 4 people will likely live in a country affected by chronic or recurring fresh-water shortages. [Worldvision.org]

[Water.org has a great fact sheet with more information on the water crisis here.]

So, what do we do?

Well, for starters, I started supporting Charity:Water as a part of their monthly donor program – called The Spring – that provides clean water to remote and underprivileged communities around the world.

Since we joined in 2019, we have donated/raised more than $9k for clean water projects – impacting 236 people.

That’s pretty awesome.

If you want to help support this organization then you can join me in The Spring by following the link below:

Join The Spring with Karis!

You can donate any amount. Over time, this monthly donation – no matter how small – will add up to lives changed, lives saved, because of clean water.

This is a very simple and tangible way to make a difference in the world.

Two [of the many] reasons [besides what I already shared above] that you should consider giving to Charity: Water:

1. 100% of donations go to fund clean water projects.
2. Charity:Water allows you to see exactly where your money is going.

Ok. So anyway, that’s one thing we can all [or mostly all] do to help with the water crisis. The second thing is to reduce our own water waste.

Reducing Water Waste

We all need to take a greater responsibility in the water crisis by conserving water as much as possible to prevent shortages. The people of Cape Town South Africa [in the Netflix documentary] found a way to conserve water in order to push back their Day 0. We should be forward thinking enough to stop wasting water now rather than waiting for doomsday.

For me, reducing water waste is also out of respect for the commodity that it is. Just as I don’t feel comfortable splurging a ton of money on frivolous shit when thousands of children are dying from starvation every day, I also can’t be taking thirty-minute steaming hot showers and running my faucet while doing dishes when I know that there is a kid [most likely a girl] somewhere on the planet who has to walk for hours just to fill a jerrycan of dirty water for her entire family.

And, of course, if you don’t have your own well, saving water will also save you money. So, yay.

So, what do we do?

First, you have to check out this great list compiled by sustainability blogger, Jo, at 43 square meters:

25 Ways to Reduce Your Water Consumption for the Environment and Your Wallet

I’ve already implemented many of these tips, but, as this article proves, there are always more ways to improve!

Some of the things that my family already does to reduce water waste:

• We wash laundry once a week [except when one of our kids wets the bed] and always with full loads.
• We bathe our youngest two kids once a week [together] and our older two kids take showers.
• We turn off the water when we brush our teeth [and are teaching our children to do the same].
• We don’t buy or eat animal products [except my kids and husband when we are eating out].
• We have an extremely energy efficient dish washer [apparently only uses a couple gallons of water to run].
• We buy [nearly] all our clothes second hand.

Still, as part of my New Years Resolution to focus on the water crisis, I’m going to redouble my efforts on reducing my water waste by working on the following things:

1. Wash fruit and veggies in a bowl rather than running the tap.
2. Rinsing dishes in a bowl of water instead of running the tap.
3. Taking shorter showers [this one will be tough].
4. Getting a rain barrel.
5. Switch to low-flow shower heads.

So, that’s my game plan for reducing my water waste. At our last home, we lived on a well, so I really had no idea how much water we were using, but since we’ve moved to a house with city water, I am better able to track our water usage [or rather the water company tracks it for me]. Hopefully, I’ll see some improvements in water usage.

There are lots of other things that need to be done about the water issues facing our world. I don’t want to make it sound simple enough that washing my fruit in a bowl of water or donating $100 a month will solve the problem for our future or for the 785 million people currently without clean water, but small changes go a long way, especially if everyone makes them.

Other ideas about reducing water waste? Or suggestions of other organizations working in this sector? Share below!

🚿🚿🚿

Karis