All I want for Christmas is Rain
My city currently has only 52 day of easily accessible water left in its reservoirs. Less than two months.
This summer, I was convicted to start using tap water again for drinking and to stop spending money on bottles of water. We are back on bottles of water. In fact when I think of boiling water for pasta, I hesitate and think… maybe I should use water from one of my store bought bottles. Instead I fill the pan with as little water as possible and when I am done boiling my pasta I use the hot water in the pan to rinse off my dishes that are piling up as I am waiting for enough dishes to justify a full sink of water to wash them. And once I fill up the sink I first wipe down everything in my kitchen with the fresh hot water because we have turned to cleaning up almost everything with various kinds of wet wipes.
After I finish eating my cereal in the morning I walk to the sink to rinse my dish only to remember that it would be a waste of water and instead I reach for a paper towel to wipe out the bowl and then wonder how many trees I am killing because of all the extra paper products we are using. Oh did I mention that the reason the dishes wait to be washed is because we have also turned back to using paper plates whenever we can. Yes, I had started using paper shortly after our second child was born. Just to cut out the daily chore of washing dishes and then recently I was trying to wean myself off of paper and go back to real dishes. So much for my progress. Welcome back paper plates and plastic utensils. In fact I am going to check out paper bowls the next time I am at the grocery store (aka Target).
When I use the bathroom at work I cringe when people double flush and want to say “Do you realize that your double flush now might lead to no flushing in the less than two months?” A thought that should leave anyone horrified.
As I take my five minute shower in the morning I wonder if I should catch the water I am using, in the tub and reuse it else where in my home. When I mention this out loud during dinner with my co workers they all look at me like I am nuts and tell me that the soap I use (not to mention the dead skin and hair) make the water useless for any other task… really? Of course they both have WELLS and do not have to spend any time worrying about water. At this same dinner I convince another friend to ask for a to go cup for the water she did not drink. (Spilling it over some plant outside is better than letting them throw it down the sink.)
But here is the crazy thing. I will do these things and yet I still find myself just using water as if there is plenty to go around. Just this weekend we steam cleaned our rug. Yep. Steam… that comes from Hot Water. And really it did not even pop into my head not to do this until I saw Eric pouring the water into the cleaner.
And just to give a clear picture, a few weeks ago it rained. I think we received a total of two inches. And as it started to rain, every employee in my office came to the window to look out and watch it rain. It was like when it snows and everyone rushes to see the snow because it is such a rarity in the South and now we are doing the same with rain.
Dear God, Please send rain.
2 comments:
This is a Great Post. And you are doing a Much Better Job at conserving water than I am. But I do use the leftover water from steaming broccoli (or something) to water my plants. It's crazy, isn't it? how we take water for granted.
By the by, I think your lackadaisical (sp?) co-workers with wells are INSANE. Their wells can and will run dry, don't they know, and then what will they do? I think they are at greater risk to be out of water than those of us with city water are....
Thank you for conserving water, Beth.
Dear Beth,
Just want you to know that dad and I are praying for rain. And yes when we are with you I am more than willing to take a sponge bath. In fact when I was a child we didn't have a bath tub and every Sat. eveing we all took sponge baths and we did reuse the water. Seeing I was the youngest in the family, I had the last bath after my sister and brother had their bath. Oh by the way, my dad filled a small tub of water and that was what we used for our baths. So I'm all set for a good time at your house remembering my younger days. Looking forward to it.
Mom & Dad R.
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