MWRA 2011-2012 Writing Contest Winners

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HONORABLE MENTION WINNER, GRADES 9-12
Katie McNeil
Grade 9, Wilmington High School, Wilmington
Carol Mutchler, Teacher

 

Every day thousands of gallons of water are used to grow food, wash dishes, shower and much more. For years it seemed people were unaware of the volume of water being used. Day in and day out more water was being used than truly needed, even for simple things such as brushing your teeth. Over the years water usage has been reduced. Once aware of how much water was being wasted, people created technologies to help reduce water usage and waste. By reducing usage, and making thoughtful decisions regarding the use of water ones water footprint is reduced.

The major reason for the reduction in water usage is awareness. Awareness leads to change. Simple things in everyday life use up a surprising amount of water. Because of this it is easy to use up a large quantity of water. When people became aware of just how much water they were using, they started making an effort to conserve. The first step towards conservation is awareness.

Sink faucets, toilets and shower heads can use up a lot of water. In recent years low flow appliances have been created to solve this problem. Sink faucets, toilets, and shower heads are examples of appliances that can be replaced by low flow appliances to conserve both water and money. Five gallons of water can be saved every time you flush your toilet when replaced by a low flow toilet.When the shower head is replaced with a low flow model up to half the water you usually would use can be conserved. Little changes like this will save money, and water. By being conservative one is also reducing his or her water footprint.

Replacing appliances in your household help to conserve water but it takes more than just that. One also needs to make thoughtful decisions. One way of doing so is by not running water sprinklers on your lawn everyday. This uses a lot of water and having a perfectly green lawn is nice, but not necessary to live. Turning the sink off when brushing your teeth is also a good way to not waste water. By doing this one can save two gallons of water. Fixing leaky sinks, and using an automatic dishwasher are other ways to save water.

Many little changes can lead to saving a large volume of water over time. Personal awareness can lead to a change in your water habits, ultimately conserving water and decreasing your water footprint.

Water is a necessity in a person's life. Everyday people bathe, brush their teeth, drink, and eat. All these things include water, whether it be direct or indirect use of it. By making little changes in one's life the usage of water can be reduced. Throughout the years ways to conserve water have been improved. Now, because of technology, appliances in one's home can be replaced with low flow ones significantly saving water and money. People also know not to run their sprinklers all the time especially not during a drought. Little changes can make significant differences, and modem technology has created simple ways to do just that.

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