Water Wastage

Water is a finite resource, we only have a limited amount on earth yet every organism depends on water to survive.

Water serves many purposes in different parts of the water cycle, from rain and freshwater flow, to ocean currents, water run-off from hilly areas deposits minerals and seeds in different parts of the globe, spreading nutrients that plants need to grow.

Water flushes out toxic chemicals embedded in the soil and from the plants we eat from factory waste and other pollutants.

We use water to wash off many potential diseases from the outside of fruits and vegetables and from animal products. These types of diseases are called food-borne diseases.

Water is running out. We are using more water than is available to us.

Graphic: EEA Signals (source)

Over-extracting water significantly and sometimes irreparably changes the local ecological system by causing a drought. The increase in the number of wildfires globally (like the really dramatic ones in California and Australia), are directly linked to the dehydration of landscapes for agricultural production.

A lot of the water we use is retrieved from underground aquifers, ancient water stores dating back millions of years that take thousands of years to be replaced.

Contrastingly, some types of food production rely on regular flooding, such as rice crops.

Some of the water used to grow our food that isn’t absorbed by the plants or the ground, runs off the land into local river systems. This carries off the harmful chemicals used to deter insects and disease and to promote plant growth and deposits them in local rivers, nearby areas of wildlife, and into the sea which can cause serious damage to the local ecosystem.

If we use all the freshwater, we have to resort to using recycled water (non-potable water), which if it has not been treated properly for diseases and chemicals can contain harmful bacteria, viruses, and chemicals. In countries where the government does not have enough money to do proper research on water quality, water-borne diseases contained in food are a significant cause of death.

Waste less! Try not to throw away food because you’re throwing away water too.

Livestock farmers can use rotational grazing to ensure that the grasslands can recover, store water, and grow adequately. This will mean that the livestock doesn’t need to be fed with other crops.

Covering crops to reduce evaporation helps store water in the plants

Growing plants that are suited to the local climate will limit the amount of additional freshwater we have to use.

Farmers can also use something called drip-irrigation, which instead of pouring water over the crops like a hose pipe (this wastes a lot of water through evaporation), water is slowly dripped through thin pipes close to the ground. This is especially useful in poorer or hotter regions.

Aeroponics! Aquaponics is a farming innovation that uses no soil and 95% less water than ground based agricultural production.