Dear Editor,
For some days now, we’ve been reading reports that certain restrictions have been imposed because of the water shortage.
We’ve also been asked to cut back our water consumption by another 20 per cent.
In the Pacific Northwest, we’re so accustomed to turning on a tap and letting the water gush out that we don’t really know how to manage otherwise. Having lived for over three decades in a country where water shortage and broken water pumps were the norm during the summer, I learned how to survive in such a situation.
We showered at record speed and collected water in basins and buckets. One basin was used for washing hands, the other for washing fruit and vegetables.
We didn’t flush the toilet every time, unless absolutely necessary. At the end of the day, the hand-washing water served to flush the toilet, the other was used for watering plants. When watering the garden with a hose or can, we watered only the roots. We didn’t wash the car or water the lawn. These days, a dusty car and brown lawn are signs of a responsible citizen.
Sabine Eiche
Richmond
