Well, I kinda blew it by not posting anything on World Water Day. But celebrate, I did. I celebrated by not taking a shower, doing the dishes in the most water-conservative way I know how, and really thinking about water.

Though the official water day has passed, here are some photos, facts, issues, and ideas to keep water on your mind, and in your actions.

If you don’t have a reusable water bottle, it’s time to buy one. Do it for WWD, do it for convenience, just do it. Plus then you can use the cool new water-refill stations popping up at airports near you (this one @ SFO)! My favorite reusable is the stainless steel Klean Kanteen. Easy to clean, dishwasher safe, light but durable, and BPA free. BPA (bisphenol A) is a polycarbonate plastic that’s been linked to heart disease, diabetes & liver failure in humans, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Try to steer clear of aluminum knockoffs. aluminum, as opposed to steel, isn’t FDA food-grade safe so these bottles are coated with plastic or epoxy liners (read chemicals) = bad news.

My brother rocks the BPA-free plastic CamelBak. These are great IF you have a dishwasher, but without one, the rubber nozzle fills with spit/bacteria and gets super gross. That happened to mine, but his is fine since he puts the nozzle in the dishwasher regularly. Another high-class glass version is from LifeFactory, who also makes sustainable (glass) baby bottles.

Fun SF find: Global Tap water fountains are showing up around town. Love them and their ‘water is a human right, not a privilege’ slogan!

Now onto WWD, which focuses on the amount of water used in food production. This is one of the reasons I’m a vegetarian. It takes 1500 liters of water to produce 1 kg of wheat, but takes 10 times more to produce 1kg of beef due to the need for water in livestock feed production, slaughtering, and meat processing (UN). It’s pretty crazy when you think about the numbers: 70% of blue (drinkable) water withdrawals at a global level go to crop irrigation, not to human needs (UN). Humans all over the globe suffer from a lack of water, because this water is diverted and prioritized to give us steak. This water should be instead allocated to the 1.5 MILLION children who die yearly from diarrhea caused by severe dehydration (WHO).

Lastly, we’ve all be there. You share an apartment with your loved one or have a date over that you want to continue to find you attractive. Bathroom business (read #2) is not attractive, so you run the sink or the shower while probably also making coughing noises. Well, accomplish this and waste water no longer!  Check out this app alternative (thanks Ame 🙂