February 17, 2023

Water Matters

Until living in Bangalore, I had never thought about water so much. Daily, I am introduced to new information about different types of wells, rainwater harvesting systems, municipal tap, and water being piped from the Cauvery River. While interning for Biome, I have learned so much about the complex issues that different communities face with water.

At one of the many wells we have visited with Biome, a particular moment stuck with me. We were standing around a well that, although it had recently been rejuvenated, was filled with garbage. The smell coming from the well was enough for me to have to take a few steps away for fresh air. While we were standing there, two young boys jumped down to the well to fill a bucket with water, which they told us was for laundry. Although they weren’t planning on drinking it, the fact that they were using it in any capacity shocked me. This moment brought up a lot of questions for me. Where do they get the rest of their household water from? What do they think about the water quality? How many other people are using water from this well?

Seeing how different people’s relationships here are with water has caused me to reflect a lot on my own water usage.

At home, I am lucky enough to not really worry about water until I have to pay my water bill. Is that privilege or ignorance? Maybe a little bit of both. For a lot of people I know back in Seattle, including myself, the concept of saving household water stops at turning the faucet off while you are brushing your teeth and maybe not doing that emergency load of laundry just because you stained your shirt. On top of that, the worry of said water being clean rarely crosses my mind. I think about all the showers I have left running while I shave my legs or let my conditioner sit in my hair and feel embarrassed as I wonder how much clean water I have wasted.

Sometimes I wonder in what ways I might be different when I come back to Seattle. Although I don’t know that I can fully answer that question, I can say for certain that I will return with a new awareness of my own water consumption and lots of ways that it can be reduced.

By Sophia