Water everywhere but not a drop to drink: Why Water Conservation Matters

BY ISABELLA MARCON

It may seem that Florida has an abundance of water because of the beaches and the Everglades, but that may not be the case for everyone in the state. In Broward County, as the population continues to grow, the need for clean, consumable water grows with it.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Broward County had an estimated population of 1,935,878, making it the second most populous county in Florida and the 15th most populous county in the United States. The problem is that all of these people consume a nearly unfathomable amount of water. Broward County currently estimates that its citizens use about 262 million gallons of water per day and if you include salt water, canal water and reclaimed water, that number jumps to about 292 million gallons of water per day.

If you factor in climate change and booming agriculture trying to keep up with the world’s food needs, it is not a question of if this will this affect the Earth, but when.

Most of Earth’s water resources are inaccessible, and since there is only so much accessible water, its supply can, and will eventually, run out. Of course, some people may derive a false sense of security by the fact that the planet is made up of 70 percent water, but only three percent of that water is actually usable fresh water. About 68 percent of that freshwater is trapped in glaciers, icebergs or is otherwise unavailable. The result- global water scarcity.

“I am concerned that water scarcity could affect me in the next 10 years because we’ve already seen droughts and poor water quality in America,” sophomore Christian Mangles said. “Globally, the problem is even worse, not to mention the cost for cleaner water being high.”

An estimated 1.2 billion people live in areas of water scarcity, which means that they lack access to water or safely usable water. In addition, another 1.6 billion people live in areas where water shortages occur, due to a lack of infrastructure to harness available water. For at least one month a year, 66 percent of the world’s population live in areas where water scarcity occurs.

As populations continue to grow, water systems remain under stress. Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming so polluted that they are not able to be consumed. Over half the world’s wetlands have disappeared. If you factor in climate change and booming agriculture trying to keep up with the world’s food needs, it is not a question of if this will this affect the Earth, but when.

“The steps I can take to converse water now, if it could help ease water scarcity, would be watering my lawn less, or taking shorter showers,” sophomore Noah Lamdanski said.

The problem can even affect local cities and towns as well. A look at the past helps. In 2008, Cooper City had a water consumption problem and an expensive choice to make- decreasing the amount of water utilized, or investing 12 million dollars to expand its water treatment program. Cooper City chose the conservation route and it has thus far been successful.

The city implemented an aggressive water conservation program that featured rebates for high-efficiency toilets, rain barrels (for gardening), sensor-driven irrigation systems and shallow irrigation wells. The end result was that Cooper City was able to cut its water use seven percent from an average of 99 gallons per person per day in 2008 to 92 gallons per person per day in 2016.

As Cooper City and South Florida continue to grow, new and innovative ways to reduce water consumption can be implemented in advance of shortages.

“The steps I can take to converse water now, if it could help ease water scarcity, would be watering my lawn less, or taking shorter showers,” sophomore Noah Lamdanski said.

Photo by Genna Nordling