Ways to Reduce Water pollution in Your Homes

We take water for granted just like we used to for fresh air. We tend to worry about air pollution more in Korea because we see the murky sky filled with fine dust and often wear masks to prevent us from inhaling the polluted air. We don’t think seriously about water because we can get access to fresh water by going to the convenient store near my house and buy a bottle of mineral water whenever I want to. However, if I think about it more deeply, I don’t drink tap water because I feel it might have chemicals that are harmful to me. In conclusion, the issue of water pollution is also close at hand and we must take measures to prevent further pollution.

One of the major causes of water pollution is rapid urban development. Detergents, chemicals, and exhaust emissions from buildings, houses and industries are washed into rivers and streams, and eventually end up in the drinking water supply. While the government should enforce strict regulations to the industries, we in the households should keep daily routines to reduce behaviors that will contaminate water. Another cause of water pollution is the improper sewage disposal. More and more, it is becoming a major issue in the world. It’s not a problem only for very poor countries in Latin America or Africa. This kind of situation can be witnessed even in Alabama, U.S. According to a report by CBS news last year, residents of Lowndes County, Alabama are suffering from lack of proper sewage treatment. Residents wake up because of foul smell from their back yards because of the raw sewage run-off from their houses. A tropical disease specialist, Dr. Rojelio Mejia ran a small study of 55 patients and found over 30% of people in at-risk situations with poor sanitation had hookworm which causes stomach problems, anemia, and developmental delays in children. Other causes of water pollution are fertilizer run-off, oil spills, chemical waste dumping, and radioactive waste discharge.

In this essay, I want to focus on what we can do to reduce water pollution in our everyday lives. Even though we learned about it and even know it, we must constantly be reminded because we tend to forget the fatal consequences in the long run. We live so comfortably, and we seek for more comfort. Now we must live with minor discomforts in our lives to keep the water clean. And if you look at some of the precautions, they are very simple and not at all difficult to live by.

First, we should not pour fat from cooking or any other type of fat, oil, or grease down the sink. You need 200,000 times more water to purify just 20ml of oil. We should absorb oil with kitchen towel or newspaper in the milk carton and throw it away in the garbage can. Second, do not dispose of household chemicals or cleaning agents down the sink or toilet. Try using baking soda when cleaning the house. And if the toilet or sink is clogged, simply use a plunger with some help of baking soda, vinegar, and hot water. Third, do not flush pills, liquid or powder medications or drugs down the toilet. If you have drugs that’s out of expiration date, it’s best that you take them to a pharmacy near you. Fourth, avoid using the toilet as a wastebasket. Only tissue paper should be flushed down the toilet.

Fifth, avoid using a garbage disposal. Keep solid wastes solid. It takes a lot of water to wash the leftovers from dinner down the drain through an in-sink garbage disposal, but it takes even more water to filter out food waste when it reaches a wastewater treatment facility. In Korea, we have large food waste containers located in the Apartment complexes. The residents are charged for the amount they throw out every month in their apartment maintenance expense. Since 2013, when the disposal fee program was introduced, food waste in Seoul has decreased by 30 percent, according to city officials. In addition to collecting food waste instead of throwing it down the garbage disposal, we should minimize the amount of food waste we create in the first place. We should plan the portions according to how much we eat and freeze leftovers so that it won’t go to waste.

Sixth, put a brick or 2-liter container in the standard toilet tank to reduce water use per flush. Next, run the dishwasher or clothes washer only when you have a full load. This conserves electricity and water. Last, use the minimum amount of detergent when you are washing clothes or dishes. These are simple things that we can do in our household. Make a list of these routines and post it on the refrigerator in your home so that you’ll be reminded constantly and follow them every day.

 

Reference

Could a fee for organics disposal reduce food waste in Toronto? | The Star

Garbage Can or Garbage Disposal: Which Is Greener? - Lincoln, CA Recycling & Garbage (recyclinginlincoln.com)

60 Minutes investigates: Americans fighting for access to sewage disposal - CBS News

Ten Things You Can Do To Reduce Water Pollution | Simsbury CT (simsbury-ct.gov)

Top 6 Causes of Water Pollution and How to Reduce the Risks (novatx.com)