Why is running the water considered "wasteful"?

Question

This is one of those basic knowledge questions that I feel stupid for asking but I don't understand why letting the taps run is considered wasting water. Doesn't the water return back to the environment?

Answer 1

running water percolates in the soil thus it is not wasted

Answer 2

Aside from the money that it cost you if you just let it run there are also other ramifications to the environment. One is the energy it takes to get the water to you. The water has to be pumped from a well or lake to a treatment facility for processing. Then it has to be pumped into a large water tank where the water is stored until needed. Once in the tank the water gets to your house via gravity. There is energy expended to pump this water. The more water you use, the more energy used. This is usually done by electricity and most electricity is derived from coal which is a dirty fuel.

Chemicals are put into the water to purify it for drinking. The manufacturing and transportation of these chemicals also uses energy. The more water we use, the more energy we waste.

Answer 3

In reality, it isn't really "wasting" water if you consider the world as your water system, and you discount the energy expended in delivering the water to your tap, and in treating the water to make it safe.

However, since rain does not always distribute water consistently, a particular geographic area (your area) may receive less water, in the form of rain, at a particular time.  When that happens, you have a drought, and water supplies in the area decrease.  Note, that the amount of water in the world is still the same as it was before the drought, but less in your area.  

In this situation, you can see that running the water out of the tap exessively is "wasting" water, because it is going to reduce the amount of water available in YOUR area.

Now suppose you had NOT run the water exessively during a time of non-drought.  When the drought occurs, there would be more water in reserve, in YOUR area, for use during the drought.  From that stand-point, running the water exessively is "wasting" water.  

In all of these situations, the net amount of water in the world does not change.

In reality, you question also applies to energy.  The amount of matter and energy in the universe is constant (E=m(c**2) [c is squared]).  Excluding nuclear processes, the amount of matter in the universe is constant, and the amount of energy is constant.  Only nuclear processes can transform matter into energy, and vice versa.  So, why does leaving the lights on "waste" energy?

I'm not particularly a conservationist (and I do not buy into man made global warming), but common sense tells you not to "waste" water, or leave the lights on, when you are not in the room.

Answer 4

The world is thirsty that one tip could save someones life. Think about it.:)

Answer 5

Letting the tap run = money out of your pocket

Answer 6

Think about it...

Money...

Answer 7

It goes through your drain and into the septic/sewer system, where the water has been fouled.  (For lack of a better word)  Many cities have treatment systems to re-use it, but not all.

Answer 8

The quantity of water created on earth is not lost/reduced and it remains the same; but in various forms!

Yes, you are correct in stating that wasted water is returning to environment.



While wasting water, kindly think about the energy spent on drawl of water from source, treatment to acceptable standards and transportation to the user point. In this process, the water is becoming value-added!

Moreover, the waste water returned to environment is getting mixed with sewage or sullage water thereby increasing the water pollution load. This again increases the energy requirement for treatment of waste water for recycling besides the demand for good water.

Answer 9

Because it takes lots of energy to treat water to make it drinkable. When you run water, it goes into the sewers and has to be treated before it is released, so that also uses lots of energy. Also once water has been abstracted and treated, it has to go through pipes to get to your house, also using energy. So it's not really wasting water, its wasting the energy that is needed to treat the water.

Answer 10

Running the water is considered wasteful; although the clean water that is leftrunning may return to the environment, it will mix with polluted water and other dirty and harmful substances. This clean water that has been wasted can never really be fully retrieved. Even if water is filtered, it will cost you, and it will not be as good as it was in the first place.

Do yourself, your fellow human being and the environment a favour by leaving the tap off when not needed.