Please save water

I'm reposting this, as my information was incomplete the first time. I was waiting for my friend Anup to do the research for me :P

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“Consider the water which you drink. Was it you that brought it down from the rain cloud or We? If We had pleased, We could make it bitter” [Qur'an 56:68-70].

Please please save water. It's an easy thing to do. Save water when you turn on taps, when you use the dishwasher, when you wash your clothes and dishes, and when you water your garden.
Please do not exploit this miraculous blessing from Allah (swt). Please follow the sunnah. Save each drop, and thank Allah for this bountiful blessing.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh):
- Performed ablution using one mudd [i.e. a measure equal to a handful of water] (Al-Tirmidhi)
- Took a shower using one sa` [four handfuls].
- said "Do not waste water even if performing ablution on the bank of a fast-flowing (large) river.

Why should we conserve water?
Think of what happens @ the end of the pipe. Where does tap water come from?
From surface water, including reservoirs, lakes and rivers, and the rest from ground waters. The latter come from aquifers, which are underground geological formations that store rainwater. The rainwater seeps through porous strata such as sandstone and chalk. Water companies drill wells or bore holes into aquifers and draw water from them.
Major cities are usually supplied from the larger volume surface waters, whereas ground waters supply smaller populations, although this is not always the case. There are also areas that receive water from a mixture of sources.
Water is treated at water treatment works before flowing through water mains, sometimes over considerable distances, to arrive at your home. Samples are taken at each stage of treatment and distribution along the way, and tested by the water company to make sure that you receive high quality water.
- Dams cause loss and destruction of habitat
- Removal of surface water causes erosion
- Increase in saltwater intrusion can cause change

The major problem with water today is it's commercialisation. And what this is doing is making water expensive for poor people, even in rich countries.
From the United Nations Human Development Report:
- Access to piped water into the household averages about 85% for the wealthiest 20% of the population, compared with 25% for the poorest 20%
- “Already, corporations own or operate water systems across the globe that bring in about $200 billion a year. Yet they serve only about 7 percent of the world’s population, leaving a potentially vast market untapped.” (John Tagliabue, As Multinationals Run the Taps, Anger Rises Over Water for Profit, New York Times, August 26, 2002)
An amazing resource is: Water Conserve

Here are some water saving tips from American Water and Energy Savers:

1. Create an awareness of the need for water conservation among your children. Avoid the purchase of recreational water toys which require a constant stream of water.
2. Be aware of and follow all water conservation and water shortage rules and restrictions which may be in effect in your area.
3. Encourage your employer to promote water conservation at the workplace. Suggest that water conservation be put in the employee orientation manual and training program.
4. Patronize businesses which practice and promote water conservation.
5. Report all significant water losses (broken pipes, open hydrants, errant sprinklers, abandoned free-flowing wells, etc.) to the property owner, local authorities or your Water Management District.
6. Encourage your school system and local government to help develop and promote a water conservation ethic among children and adults.
7. Support projects that will lead to an increased use of reclaimed waste water for irrigation and other uses.
8. Support efforts and programs to create a concern for water conservation among tourists and visitors to our state. Make sure your visitors understand the need for, and benefits of, water conservation.
9. Encourage your friends and neighbors to be part of a water conscious community. Promote water conservation in community newsletters, on bulletin boards and by example.
10. Conserve water because it is the right thing to do. Don't waste water just because someone else is footing the bill such as when you are staying at a hotel.
11. Try to do one thing each day that will result in a savings of water. Don't worry if the savings is minimal. Every drop counts. And every person can make a difference. So tell your friends, neighbors and co-workers to "Turn it Off" and "Keep it Off".