Why is it a good idea to save water?

[ghoti_mhic_uait]

I've seen lots of people saying "Save water, it's good for the environment!" over the years. I've looked and looked and mostly ignored them (although was happy when the dropped 'turn the tap off when you're washing your hands - really not compatible with 'shower, not bath').

Water is a renewable resource, right? It goes through the sewer system, into the rivers or sea, evaporates and returns as rain. Or it goes through the sewer system and returns to our taps.

My region hasn't had a hosepipe ban since the 70s because of our good reserviors.

So why is it a good idea to save water? I've never actually managed to find an explanation, including now through google.

Comments

[antinomy.livejournal.com]

Because turning water from the state in which it exists in rivers, full of cow shit and fish, and algae and things, into a state where you'd want to drink it, takes energy and chemicals. And turning used sewer water into a state where you can return it to a river without killing the fish, or growing more algae, likewise takes energy and chemicals.

Also, more people than ever live in the South East, living on all the places you'd want to put the extra reservoirs you need. And although *we* in the South West have plenty of mountains, and rivers, and water, you can't have it, 'cos it's *ours, damnit*

;)

[mooism.livejournal.com]

Yes, there’s no National Water Grid like there is for gas and electricity.

[lisekit.livejournal.com]

Now, why is that?

[philipstorry.livejournal.com]

I would imagine it's for two reasons:
1. Lack of economies of scale
2. Abundance of local water supplies in the British Isles when the water/sewage system was laid down originally

Why build a national grid when the water is collected nearby, stored nearby and used nearby?

Sadly, things are changing, and if not a national grid then some kind of north/south or west/south-east pipeline should probably be considered...