World Water Day | Are you water-conscious?

Learn about water conservation, water footprint, and global water crisis to understand the importance of saving water daily.

Do you know how much water you use in a day? According to the Central Ground Water Authority in India, it is estimated that an average individual needs close to 135 litres of water every day to go through all daily activities from consumption to sanitation. This number can go up to 200 depending on how long your shower is and whether a bathtub is being used in your house! However, not everyone has equal access to water. While some of us consume (and waste) much more than what is required, a lot of poor people have to make do with much less. It is, hence, important that we use water judiciously. Let us look at a few ways in which we can measure how much water we use and ensure there is no waste.

Consumption of water is extremely necessary for our health; cutting down on the litres of water you drink a day and getting dehydrated is not the solution for water conservation here. The major water waste comes from much smaller things around us, which we often fail to see. The drops of water falling from that leaking tap in your house or school, the extra five minutes you keep the shower on while humming a song, or even the gap between taking the toothpaste out of the cabinet while brushing your teeth—all lead to litres of clean water going down the drain. You can calculate your water footprint using an online water footprint calculator from reliable sources like WWF.

According to the NITI Aayog report, nearly 600 million Indians face high-to-extreme water stress, with around 200,000 people dying annually due to inadequate access to safe water. Major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai are experiencing severe water shortages, and the situation is expected to worsen with time. Hard-hit regions include Southern and Central Asia and North Africa, where the situation is considered critical. Even countries with highly developed infrastructure, like the United States, are seeing water levels drop to record lows.

Is your home or hostel water conservation friendly? Are there leaking taps or pipes left unnecessarily open? Point it out to your elders and spread awareness about the importance of water conservation in everyday activities. Sit with your family and calculate your individual and total average water footprint to understand where water is being wasted more. Water wastage is a significant contributor to the global water crisis. A typical shower can use between 10 to 25 litres of water per minute. On average, a 10-minute shower can waste around 100 to 250 litres of water.

Talk to people around you about what the major water resource was while they were growing up. In many rural areas of India and other developing nations, women and girls bear the responsibility of fetching water for their households. Due to the lack of nearby water sources, they often have to walk long distances—sometimes up to 5 to 10 kilometres daily—to access clean water. This not only consumes their time but also exposes them to physical exhaustion, health risks, and safety concerns. Explore whether people around you are facing the same struggles to attain clean water.

Many schools in water-stressed regions lack proper hygiene facilities, leading to increased dropout rates, particularly among girls during menstruation. Ensuring access to clean water in schools can significantly improve attendance and overall educational outcomes. Does your school have enough water available for consumption and sanitation? Check whether the same comes from groundwater resources; if not, enquire whether your school has a rainwater harvesting system.

Do you make sure to keep your toilets and washrooms clean after use? Or is their third-party involvement in ensuring you have clean sanitation facilities? Do you interact with sanitation workers around you?