The November 2, 2007 headlines in the local
newspaper reads,

"Tennessee Town Runs Out of Water." 

Because of the severe drought that has plagued the southeastern part of the United States, the small town of Orme, Tennessee began to ration water, and would turn on the water supply for only three hours a day. 

"You never get used to it," says Cheryl Foster,
55 year old, who has lived in the town of 148. "When you're used to having water, and you aint got it, it's strange! I can't tell you, how many times, I've turned on the faucet before remembering the water's been off!"

"Conservation means the wise use of the earth and its resources for the lasting good of men."  Gifford Pinchot

A few years ago, I was working as a temporary employee after a job layoff. I was assigned to a manufacturing plant, and about ten in the morning, I went into the break-room to take my break. About the same time, an employee of the company came into the break-room holding a coffee cup, and he dumped some left-over coffee into the sink.

What he did next, really irritated me, but because I was a temporary employee, I couldn't say anything to him! Instead of rinsing the cup right away, which would only take a few seconds, and placing it in the dish-rack to dry, he placed the cup in the sink, and turned on the water, and let it run into the cup, and he walked out of the break-room!

For fifteen minutes he let the water run in the cup in the sink, and as I was about to leave after my break, he entered the break-room, and turned off the water and put the coffee cup into the dish-rack!  A blatant and irresponsible miss-use of water for sure!

*                              *                                 *

In another incident with the miss-use of water.  I do most of my work on my computer, but because I don't have a printer as yet, I walk a few blocks to a local community college to get the printing done.

One day, during my walk, I noticed a home-owner watering his lawn. Most of the houses here, sit on a hilly terrain, and many of the yards are tiered to level them off. But, not this front yard, as it is pretty steep, and the water just runs out into the gutter and down the street! There was one time, when I walked to the community college at seven in the morning, and the sprinklers were on. This particular front yard is more of a weed-patch, and I don't even know why the people bother watering it. 

When I returned two hours later at nine in the morning, the sprinklers were still on, and the water continued to run down into the gutter and down the street! We have an ordinance in the city where I live, against wasting water, so I called the 311 number, and gave them the information where this water was being wasted.

During the entire following year, and as I walked passed this property, I didn't notice the sprinklers on at all during this time. 

From:  Eartheasy.com; (source):
Water is our most important resource, and a list of useful tips is provided for everyone at home to conserve water. 

* Check for hidden leaks. Read the house meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.

* Check your toilets for leaks. Put a little food coloring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately. Most replacements parts are inexpensive and easy to install.

* Don't use the toilet for an ashtray or wastebasket. Every time you flush a cigarette butt, facial tissue or other small bit of trash, five to seven gallons of water is wasted.

- Do NOT put anything down the toilet that doesn't belong there.  Teach your children and grandchildren that the toilet  is NOT a trashcan!  Plumbing repairs cost money! 

* Put plastic bottles in your toilet tank. To cut down on water waste, put an inch or two or pebbles inside each of two plastic bottles to weigh them down. Fill the bottles with water, screw the lids on, and put them in your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanisms.

This may save ten or more gallons of water per day. Be sure at least 3 gallons of water remain in the tank so it will flush properly. For new installations, consider buying "low flush" toilets, which use 1 to 2 gallons per flush instead of the usual 3 top 5 gallons.

* Insulate your water pipes. It's easy and inexpensive to insulate your water pipes with pre-slit foam pipe insulation. You'll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.

* Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators. Inexpensive water-saving shower heads or restrictors are easy for the homeowner to install. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up and rinse off. All households' faucets should be fit with aerators. This single best home water conservation method is also the cheapest.

* Take shorter showers. One way to cut down on water use is to turn off the shower after soaping up, and then turn it back on for the rinse. A four-minute shower uses approximately 20-40 gallons of water.

* Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush. There is no need to keep the water running while brushing your teeth. Just wet your brush and fill a glass for mouth rinsing.

* Rinse your razor in the sink. Fill the sink with a few inches of warm water. This will rinse your razor just as well as running water, with far less waste of water.

* Check faucets and pipe leaks. A small drip from a worn faucet washer can waste 20 gallons of water per day. A drip-stop valve can be used to replace rubber faucet washers; these valves are guaranteed to stop faucet leaks for life.

* Use your dishwasher and clothes washer for only full loads. With cloths washers, avoid the permanent press cycle, which uses an added (5 gallons) for the rinse.

* Minimize the use of kitchen sink garbage disposal units. In sink 'garburators'require lots of water to operate properly.

* When washing the dishes by hand, don't leave the water running. If you have a double-basin, fill one with soapy water and one with rinse water. If you have a single-basin sink, gather washed dishes in the dish rack and rinse them with a spray device or a pan full of water.

* Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegitables. Just rinse them in a stoppered sink or a pan of clean water.

* Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge. Running tap water to cool it off for drinking water is wasteful.

* Water your lawn only when it needs it. Water during the early parts of the day; avoid watering when it's windy.

* Plant drought-resistant shrubs and plants. Consider applying the principles of xeriscaping for a low-maintenance, drought resistant yard.

* Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Mulch will slow evaporation of moisture while discouraging weed growth.

* Don't water the gutter. Position your sprinklers so water lands on the lawn or garden...not on the paved areas. Also, avoid watering on windy days.

* Don't run the hose while washing your can. Clean the car using a pail of soapy water. Use the hose only for rinsing.

* Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.

*                          *                          *

The Mayor of Orme, Tennessee says the crises in his town could serve as a warning to other communities to conserve water before it's too late! "I feel for the folks in Atlanta," he says. "They've got thousands of people down there. We can survive! We're only 148 people. What are they going to do? It's a scary thought!"

"Only after the last tree has been cut down; after the last river has been poisoned; the last fish has been caught...only then will we find out that money cannot be eaten."  Cree Indian Proverb

In early 2010, I heard a story on the news, that the states surrounding the Great Lakes in the United States, have made a pact...not allowing any state in that area to distribute any water to surrounding states!  This fact is pretty scary in itself!  

I think the federal government would step in, and bust up this pact as being unconstitutional as some sort of monopoly and the pact between the states will not hold water!  (pun intended)  Every American has a basic constitutional right to his or her survival...WATER! 

Could there be a possibility of war between the states over water?    Why not?  American's went to war against each other in the Civil War and hundreds of thousands of Americans died!  Slavery was optional...take it or leave it! 

Water is NOT optional!  Human beings MUST have water to survive!  And yes...I can imagine there being a war between the states over water!  If we can fight over slavery...we can certainly fight over water, etc.  An ugly thought for sure!  There are fights in the courts right now, all across the country over water rights, etc. 

The reader should make copies of this piece and give to family and friends.  Let's all work together to conserve water just like the tiny town of Orme, Tennesee...before it's too late! 

SITEMAP; 350+ Links For Your Convenience;
Copyright; 2007; Jerry Aragon/The Humor Doctor
Website name; humordoctormd