Letters to the Editor

Simple measures are needed to protect water resources

I am writing in response to the article about the drought emergency, "Drought crisis declared in New Jersey," that ran in last week's paper.

In reference to the water-use restrictions that are to be put into effect next week, I say it's about time! These are simple strategies that could have been implemented years ago to prevent this whole shortage in the first place. We need to start taking some serious preventative measures concerning our natural resources instead of always waiting for the problem to occur, then spending tons of unnecessary time and money trying to rectify the situation. I'm sure I don't need to explain how important water is to us as a society, and if society continues to waste and pollute water as carelessly as we have in the past, our way of life will be the worse for it.

It is all a matter of sustainability. The definition of sustainability is debatable, certainly, but for this discussion, I will define it as that balance between the economy, community and environment which maximally benefits all three players. American consumption is 25 percent higher than that of the rest of the world. However, continuing to consume at such an elevated rate will inevitably lead to complete depletion of our natural resources, and how could we hope to function without such things as clean air, oil, or water? I have lived in this area all my life and have seen it go from open farming fields to strip malls. I think it is sickening and we need to stop and think about what we are doing to our world. Not that all development is bad, but we need to do these things in moderation to maintain a healthy balance.

I work for an organization called New Jersey Community Water Watch, which is a project of New Jersey Public Interest Research Group and Americorps. The mission of this organization is to address water quality issues through community service. Our three main avenues of action are through river cleanups, stream monitoring, and environmental education in elementary schools. I work on Princeton University's campus where we have been an official student organization since last year. We have decided that the drought and water conservation effort is a very real and relevant issue. We plan to promote awareness of this drought and educate the community and campus on ways they can conserve water.

Being mindful of the water shortage and taking simple preventative steps to use less water can preserve the dwindling levels of our water supply. Simple acts like turning the faucet off when brushing your teeth, taking shorter showers instead of baths, soaking dirty dishes in a soapy dishpan then rinsing them all at once, and fixing leaking fixtures can save water and money for that matter. These are just a few really simple actions that are not going to inconvenience people in their daily lives. The phase I restrictions that the government plans to implement are also not that much to ask of businesses.

So when you go to brush your teeth tonight or take a shower, remember this letter and turn off the faucet. Water is one of our greatest natural resources and we should make the effort to save as much as possible for ourselves the years down the road and future generations. Julie Binz Water Watch Organizer Princeton University