Alistair Izobell on saving water
Turn your home into grey water factory to save precious asset
CHANGE is one of the most terrifying things for human beings to consider. Just 30 years ago it was normal for most families to have their kids share one tub of water to bath in and mom and dad to do the same.
Rooms generally had a bedpan that was cleaned in the morning.
This at the time without realising it, was water-saving, with minimal cistern flushing and wasting of thousands of litres of water with many baths.
Somehow over the years we evolved into a society that took this depleting natural resource for granted.
Brushing teeth with the tap running and wasting precious water topping up baths to the brim, letting the hosepipe spurt out hundreds of litres of water either washing our cars or watering the garden. Now we arrive at the situation we face. Conversations are emotional. Anger spits from mouths blaming the administration and the political party running the city, and the impoverished communities, and everyone else but us as consumers.
Me, my family, my friends? How did I get to be blameless? How do we put it all on the shack dwellers that have to use one tap among 300 hundred people? How did we get to blame everyone else who do not have our sprawling lush gardens.
Be that as it may, after all the heated debate and blaming games and refusal to admit our personal contribution to the water challenge we face, it is refreshing and inspiring to hear the change of narrative in the very same circles of conversation.
People are now running the race to be acknowledged for their newfound ways of water-saving tricks at home.
The celebration and acknowledgement of their two-minute showers (no bathing), five-litre cistern bottle filling stations, respect of water is just fantastic. Homes have become grey water factories and people are embracing the new normal.
My family has for a long time been water wise, and it was not too much of a change for us. Watching our 5-year-old and 15-year-old understand how precious water is has been inspiring.
The tap opens and there inevitably is a shout to be mindful of the consumption. Pipes and water recycling activities is our new normal.
From catching the washing machine water to use for flushing to buckets in the showers, the kids filling water bottles putting it in to the cistern is just fantastic, and fun.
Being a water activist is a great way to educate people, not only in the protection of water but also in the education of how much fun and innovation can go in to your contribution of conserving this precious resource we have been entrusted with.
Let’s not blame anyone for the challenge we are facing, but be the change that will allow future dwellers to enjoy this precious commodity.
Be active in decreasing your water footprint. The greatest joy as a human is to serve our fellow brothers and sisters. What better way than to make sure our future generations are educated and protective of this necessity called water.