MOST people have the habit of leaving the tap running freely when they brush their teeth, do the dishes or even when they have to come out of the bathroom halfway through a shower to answer the phone.
Such imprudence not only causes unnecessary water wastage but can also be costly with faucet and water meter working over time.
The widely-held notion is that water is an inexhaustible resource. Four-fifth of the planet is, after all, covered by water. Add this to the natural cycle of rainfall, snowfall, rising sea level and even increased frequency of floods, permanent water supply seems assured.
But the truth may not be so rosy. Given the high rate of wastage, water security is becoming exponentially fraught.
A landmark UN Report has warned of an impending global water crisis due to surging population growth, climate change, reckless irrigation and chronic waste. Giving a grim assessment of the state of the planet’s freshwater, especially in developing countries, the Report describes the outlook for coming generations as worrisome, cautioning that while water adequacy can de-termine prosperity and stability, lack of access to it helps drive poverty and deprivation and breeds the potential for unrest and conflict.
The Third World Water Development Report paints an equally gloomy (albeit realistic) picture. It points out that water is linked to crises of climate change, energy, food supplies, prices and faltering financial markets, and unless their links with water are addressed and water emergencies worldwide are resolved, these other malaises may intensify and local water problems may deteriorate, culminating in a global water crisis that could spark political insecurity at various levels.
The Report notes the situation will become even more critical with global population growing annually by 80 million, 90 per cent of which in poorer countries. And as yearly water demand is projected to grow by 64 billion cubic metres, supply, if not properly managed, can reach the point of no return.
Asia – with its rapid industrial development and economic growth — is staring at a deteriorating water crisis that threatens to curtail food production and exact an increasingly heavy toll on the region’s economy.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) warns there is an urgent need to stop wasting water to limit shortage. It faults weak enforcement of laws for degradation of the region’s water quality, saying a despoliation of freshwater resources could seriously upset Asia’s ecological balance and environmental sustainability. All these will affect overall regional growth as current trends will lead to a 40 per cent gap between water demand and supply in Asia by 2030 when India would have a 50 per cent water deficit and China a shortage of 25 per cent.
Just how much water does a person need to survive? In the local context, a study by the Federation of Malaysian Consumers’ Association (Fomca) found the average consumer needs only 80 litres a day, including three litres for drinking, to sustain a reasonable quality of life. Its findings on wastage show almost 50 per cent of households rarely took action to fix leaks while 70 per cent did not have dual-flush systems which could reduce 30 to 60 per cent of water usage. Over 70 per cent did not use rainwater or recycled water (from the last rinse of clothes) to flush toilets.
Other wasteful practices include not using controlled shower heads and not collecting rainwater for gardening. And worse, 70 per cent of those surveyed are not likely to reduce home water usage over the next three years.
Sarawak — even with abundant rivers and rainfall — is not immune to water shortage. Far flung habitats frequently run dry during prolonged drought and water relief is necessary to alleviate the problem.
For now, there are no plans to raise water tariffs in the state despite escalating production costs. Roughly 80 per cent of the population now have clean water supply. And by 2012, the state government aims to supply clean water to 90 per cent of the population, Public Utility Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan disclosed after the Water Safety Conference 2010.
It is important though to point out that the status quo on tariffs should not be misconstrued as a cart blanche for injudicious water usage. Quite the contrary, there must be prudence even when there is abundance to avoid wastage and save costs. While households must use water responsibly, the water authorities too must be proactive in carrying repairs, especially plugging leaks. Dilly dallying only serves to drive water revenue down the drain.
Sustainable water management with realistic pricing is one way to curb wastage but ultimately, conservation and reuse of water, including recycled sewage, will be the watchwords of the future.