Brushing. Pooping. Showering. Shaving.

Pretty normal everyday activities isn’t it? What could possibly go wrong with them? Let me sketch out your morning routine. You wake up, enter your bathroom, turn on the faucet, wash your face, use the toilet, take a shower, have your coffee, do your morning activities and kick-start your day.

Now let me paint you a slightly different picture. Your alarm goes off as usual. You have to get ready, make breakfast, get your kids dressed, drop them to school, reach office yourself, and move forward with your day, much like any other day. But as soon as you twirl your tap, there’s silence. The creepiest, most dangerous and nerving silence you would ever experience. No water flows out. You turn on your shower, try the flush, hysterically run to all the taps in the house, with no luck. Just imagine, you have used all of life’s most precious resource recklessly without even realizing it.

Now even if you decide that for this one day you won’t brush, or take a shower, or even have your morning coffee, and would continue with your daily activities rather uncomfortably, with the hope that it’s a temporary thing. But how long can you actually survive without water? Scientifically, the answer is 5-7 days, but practically barely 2 days. So why let that day come? Don’t take what you have for granted, because while water falls from the sky and flows through the river, it’s not free. You only realize the value of something once it’s gone. Don’t let it be too late for you.

While the picture we drew seems nothing short of a scene from a horror movie, it can transition to reality sooner than you know. What can you do to avoid this nightmare? The answer is fairly simple and within your control. Each day take a pause and imagine how life would be if there was no water. Feel responsible for the privilege you have and use it judiciously. Here are some quick tips you could use as first steps to a sustainable lifestyle:

Use a Bucket:
While you wait for the water for your shower to turn warm/hot, don’t let the water run down the drain. Instead use a bucket to collect it and use it subsequently to water your plants or wash your car.

Re-use cooking water:
Instead of throwing the water you use to boil vegetables, allow it to cool and use it to water your plants. Be careful, let the water cool down completely else it might harm the plants you use it for.

Don’t run the dishwasher or washing machine until it’s full:
If you use these machines with half-loads, it leads to high amounts of water wastage. You should fix a day in the week for these activities to use water sensibly and optimally.

Don’t be negligent:
Don’t let water run while scrubbing your hands, washing your face, or rinsing your utensils. Use this precious resource judiciously and turn off the tap when not in use.

Your baby steps can create big differences, and prevent having to imagine a day without water to become a reality. The choice is yours!