Water is vital for life, but our consumption and value of water is fundamentally broken. We have been conditioned for decades to save water - by taking shorter showers, by turning off the tap when we are brushing our teeth, or by putting our dirty dishes in the dishwasher (bonus - turning off the dishwasher connection saves more?!).

While those complements are great things to work on, they are simply the tip of the iceberg regarding our much larger predicament: How do we consider water as a resource?

We need to radically shift our mindset, from only saving water at home.

The real deal isn't about stockpiling water; it's all about whether we're using it fairly and got enough of it on tap.

The Hidden Cost of Bottled Water

Bottled water is one of the most prevalent symbols of convenience, represented as a "cleaner" and "safer" option compared to tap water. But behind the facade of plastic lies a hidden reality:

There is often no distinction between bottled and tap water. Provided that they are clean and safe, many bottled water brands are merely purified tap water, yet they are sold for hundreds of times the price.

It exacerbates ongoing inequality in access to water. As corporations profit from even more extraction of water from the environment, communities are left to face water shortages or rising prices.

It is an environmental catastrophe. Millions of gallons of water and oil are used to manufacture plastic bottles, and billions are discarded in landfills or oceans every year.

Interestingly, bottled water is often marketed as a good alternative to families with limited access to water; however, those profits rarely contribute back to the solution of addressing the problem itself, which would appropriately take the form of sustainable, long-lasting water infrastructure.

Beyond Shorter Showers: Where Our Water Really Goes

When most people think of water use, they think of water at home – washing the dishes, showering, watering the lawn. But personal consumption makes up just 10% of water use globally. The remaining 90%? That's the amount of water used to grow our food, manufacture our goods, and provide many of our industry needs.To actually understand where we are really using water, is an important first step to making more impactful choices.

1. The water behind what we eat

Food production is perhaps the largest user of water, and yet most of us never think about it when we are making our food choices.

• A single beef burger uses 2,500 liters of water - which is enough water for an average person's showers for two months.
• A bread loaf requires 650 liters to make.
• An apple 70 liters and a cup of coffee needs 40 liters.

To help conserve water, it's good to cut down on wasting food. Wasting food also means the water that helped make it goes down the drain.

2. The Energy-Water Connection

Energy and water are tight-knit buddies. Water cools down power plants and gobbles up electricity when we pump and clean it.

• Switching to appliances that don't use much power can slash both your water and power usage.
• `Cheering for power from the sun and the wind is great. It means less use of water-guzzling fossil fuel plants.

3. Fast Fashion's Water Footprint

The clothing industry is one of the largest hidden consumers of water. For instance, it takes about 2,700 liters of water to produce one cotton t-shirt, which is enough drinking water for one person for almost three years's worth. Supporting "sustainable fashion" brands, shopping second-hand, and avoiding buying clothes we don't need help to reduce our water footprint.

Re-imagining Water Use: Big-Picture SolutionsFixing water issues is about more than using less water, it is about changing the way we see water use in the big-picture. Here is what needs to happen:

1. Smarter Water Pricing & Policy

Water should be affordable for everyone, but wasteful use should come at a cost. Some cities are introducing tiered pricing, where essential water use remains affordable, but excessive consumption is charged at higher rates.

Simultaneously, policies have to avoid the excessive extraction of water by corporations for the sake of local communities. Water has to be treated as a public good, rather than a good to gain profit

2. Innovations in Water Technology

• Smart water meters can monitor waste and decrease waste in homes and businesses.
• Desalination and water recycling will allow for new and better-acquired sources of clean water in dry spaces.
• Rainwater harvesting will lead to less dependency on municipal water supply and will build resilience to water sources local.

3. Investing in Local Water Solutions

Communities need investment in long-term infrastructure - better pipes, filtration systems, and wells that are community-based - rather than depending on bottled water. There needs to be a mindset change by governments and businesses about addressing these challenges with long-term thinking as opposed to short-term fixes so that every community not only has safe water, but also clean water.

What You Can Do Today

Today When it comes to water consumption, it's not just about cutting back; it's about making better choices that promote sustainability for future generations. Here are some steps to take:

✅ Use tap water instead of bottled water whenever possible. If you have clean tap water, utilize a reusable bottle, rather than making a plastic purchase.

✅ Reduce food waste. Only buy what you need, properly store food and/or choose on-farm produce from local farms that have sustainable irrigation.

✅ Make fashion choices carefully. Choose quality rather than quantity, and support clothing companies that have sustainability-focused, water-based initiatives.

✅ Advocate for better water policy. Support initiatives to equalize the distribution of water, and those that promote better distribution of water, and infrastructure.

✅ Spread awareness around water consumption. The more awareness around water consumption and the real issues behind it, the bigger the difference altogether.

Beyond the Bottle: A New Water Mindset

How we use and treat water today will shape water access for future generations. Using bottle use goes beyond avoiding plastic; it's acknowledging that water is a valuable common resource demanding our protection and conservation. Little choices combined with demanding change, lead us to a place where water accessibility takes the lead.

In this world clean water isn't a luxury - it's a standard for all across the globe. And it's a reality achieved without trashing the planet, without unfairness, and without second-guessing for both the safeguarded and those at risk. Water isn't just something for our consumption - it deserves our respect, our guardians