Millions of people worldwide are being affected by water shortage, drought and unsanitized water.
People living in severely arid regions around the world such as areas in Kenya and India are faced with water crises that affect their lives on a daily basis. According to National Geography Special Issue entitled “Water our Thirsty World”, 3 million die from water-related health problems each year and the number is only growing.
The issue about water shortage can also be seen in first world countries and areas that rely on snow for their irrigation. According to USA TODAY, much of the nation may be snow-weary, but farmers and ranchers who rely on winter snowpack in the Northern Rockies for irrigation during the dry months of the growing season could face water shortages this summer unless more snow arrives soon.
Below are some quick facts about water consumption and shortage around the world:
- Americans use about 100 gallons of water at home each day
- In Florida, 3,000 gallons are used to water the grass for each golf game played
- With 83 million more people on earth each year, water demand will keep going up unless we change how we use it
- Millions of the world’s poorest subsist on fewer than five gallons
- 46% of people on earth do not have water piped to their homes
- In 15 years, 1.8 billion people will live in regions of severe water scarcity
With water shortage on the rise, states have been implementing new laws on water conservation and building projects to help lower the risks of this issue.
According to National Geography, last year Colorado passed a law that allows homeowners without access to a municipal water tap to harvest rainwater, hence helping to conserve water. Another major initiative to beat water shortage is the 82 mile long lifeline, the All-American Canal that links California’s Imperial Valley where rainfall averages three inches a year to the Colorado River. This new concrete-lined section saves 22 billion gallons of water a year over its leaky, earthen forerunner.
Another way to conserve water is to replace real grass that requires regular maintenance and significant watering with artificial turf. A regular sized lawn requires roughly 50,000 gallons of water a year to maintain and this can be avoided by simply installing artificial turf!
FreshGreen turf can help you in your water conservation efforts by providing you with a selection of maintenance free turf. Please check our Products Page for more information about our turf.
The full USA TODAY article entitled, Water shortages may hit northern Rockies, can be found at: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/drought/2010-03-11-low-snow-pack_N.htm
To also read the full Nat Geo issue entitled, Water our Thirsty World, please visit: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/zinio/freshwater/?of=500204105&bd=1
FreshGreen Team
March 31st, 2010
