Did you know that as humans, we are full of water in our bodies? Yes, we are! We do know that we must have water to stay alive. We never think about it being a problem to have plenty of water to drink, bathe, wash clothes, and do dishes or even to water our yards. In past years, many environmentalists (people who study our surroundings and who worry about our lands), have warned us that we are not taking good care of our natural resources, water being one of those. We have seen pollution in rivers, streams and wetlands. This will eventually have a negative impact on our easy access to good clean water.
So, here is the question posed to you. What can you do to help? You might think to yourself, “Me, I am just a kid!” You can help. Keep your lawns and driveways free of litter. Water your yard only every 3-5 days. Be sure to turn off water hoses immediately after use.
Volunteer to help on a weekly basis to go around and pick up litter in your town. Make a list of where you find litter the most and get your friends or class in on the project. Picking up litter will help our water to stay cleaner, too. The less litter we have the fewer possibilities for trash to enter our waterways.
Do not use plastic bottles or bags. Get your parents to use the cloth bags when they shop for groceries. If you do use plastic, be sure to recycle it. Plastic is bad for our communities and can cause multiple types of pollution.
When showering or bathing, time your shower or bath. Make a chart and have your family do the same. Not only will you save our precious water resources, but you will save your family money on the monthly water bill, as well.
When you wash clothes in the washing machine, do not overfill your water. Either wash smaller loads, or a larger load when necessary. Most washing machines have a level to help you not overuse water.
Water is one of our greatest natural resources. We need it! It is up to all of us to be responsible to keep it plentiful and clean.
