Lack Clean Water In Developing Countries

On a daily basis, I use an excessive amount of water. I am guilty of taking this resource for granted by taking long showers, not using a stopper while washing dishes, thus leaving the hot water running for far too long, and washing less than a full load of clothing on multiple occasions. Rather than wasting all of the water that I use in the shower and while cleaning dishes in the sink, I could have been reusing it as greywater. Greywater is household wastewater that can be reused to clean household items or water the lawn and garden. I take water for granted because I have always had it as a readily available resource. I have never thought to change my behaviors because I have never personally experienced what it is like to lack clean water in that way that many developing countries do. Until I took an environmental science class in high school, I never even knew how overwatering one’s lawn could immensely impact the lives of citizens in developing countries. The number one way that water is misused is from overwatering the lawn. By using too much water on the lawn or in a garden, the excess water will …show more content…
Most developing countries do not have wastewater treatment facilities, thus, bodies of water are used as sewers for human waste and garbage. Nearly two billion people do not have access to clean sources of water and must drink contaminated water in order to survive. Each day, over one thousand children die, due to waterborne illnesses such as diarrhea and cholera. Although these countries are facing many problems due to their lack of clean water, there are barriers that prevent them from addressing the water issues. Poverty, illiteracy, and rapid population growth are among these barriers, but an even stronger barrier is that they have ineffective policies for developing, distributing, and conserving their water