A Day Without Water

You know how some people say, “You never know what you’ve got until it’s gone”. That hits hard when it comes to water. Let’s imagine just one full day without water. I wake up feeling still quite sleepy, go to brush my teeth and where is the water from the tap? Completely dry. No water. Not even a single drop. So there will be no water for shower, clean clothes, and definitely coffee. Mom is in the kitchen looking completely stressed because she can’t boil water for cooking breakfast for the family, and the dirty plates from last night are still piling up in the sink. We all are already running late for work and school, and the day hasn’t even started. 

  At school, it gets worse, way worse than I think. The toilets are all locked up, yet somehow the stench from the toilet escaped and the smell is disgusting. Everyone in class is uncomfortable, whispering about how the waterless morning affect them from getting a shower or washing their faces in the morning. It is time for school morning break and you may ask "how about the canteen?" Closed. The reason they gave us, no water to cook with or clean the utensils. This is quite understandable but some students still complain. Students that brought their water bottles from the day before, once they’re empty, that’s it. You see people sipping tiny amounts, trying to make it last. Today we were supposed to have Physical Education class, also called as PE. Thanks to the drought, the teacher cancelled it because none of us want to sweat without being able to clean up or quench thirst after it. Teachers are still trying to go on with the classes, but it is hard to focus when you are thirsty. 

  Just imagine that now I’m a water delivery worker on this same day. My job is usually pretty chill and relax, just making sure local businesses and houses have clean drinking water. But today? Total panic. Calls are coming in nonstop. Hospitals are begging for emergency tanks. A family I know is crying because their baby needs clean formula. Even the city council is asking us to “rush delivery”, but there’s only so much we can do. I’m stuck in traffic, listening to the news, hearing about people lining up for hours just to fill a bottle. It’s not just about thirst anymore. It’s about hygiene, health, dignity. I’ve never felt so overwhelmed by a day at work in my life.  However here’s where things get interesting, some people start to get creative. In some neighborhoods, they gather buckets and head to nearby hills where small natural springs still flow. Others bring out big containers to collect rainwater from their rooftops. Someone in my town starts a water-sharing group chat, where anyone with extra can help out those in need. It’s not perfect, and definitely not easy. But for a moment, you see what real community looks like. People helping those that needed help without any complain. 

  Water is something we all use without thinking until it disappears. That imaginary day without water? It might sound very tricky and difficult to live without water for just a day, but for millions of people around the world, this is what they experienced every single day while you are wasting precious water unknowingly. After going through this in my head, I’ve realized how much I take water for granted. We use water for everything from staying hygiene to cooking food to stay hydrated. It is easy for human to forget how valuable water is until it disappear. If we want to make sure everyone have water for their daily needs every day, we need to have smarter water usage habits for our daily lives, and not water because you will never know when you will experienced a waterless day. Maybe just maybe, we should appreciate when there is water coming out of the tap when you open it from now on.

Reference:

United Nations. Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal6