It is said the next world war will be fought over potable water. In fact, political conflict over one of the most precious of resources has already triggered riots and protests along some of the states’ borders. Come summer though, these conflicts could impact more immediate environments — even within our housing societies.The alarm was sounded years ago. Nearly eight crore people worldwide today don’t have access to clean water; every 90 seconds, a child dies somewhere on the planet because of a water-borne illness; and diarrhoea remains the third leading cause of death among our children. But we have taken close to zero measures to fight these problems. Even if we receive average or more rainfall during the monsoon, a shortage during the summer has become inevitable.Several smart ideas can be implemented to conserve water, but nothing can beat some good ol’ self-discipline. Each drop of water saved is a worthy investment. Replacing a leaking tap can save thousands of litres of water. We find many such taps in our public places, but do nothing about them.Smart changes in our daily habits can also save resources at home, thereby reducing household expenses and conserving the environment. The biggest consumers of water and electricity include toilets and devices such as washing machines and dishwashers. These machines were meant to make life easier, but they apply considerable pressure on a city’s water supply system.Often, washing machines are used with just half the load or sometimes even quarter load. This leads to wastage of water. We can save thousands of litres if we use washing machines only when they are fully loaded with clothes.Also, home toilets account for about 30% of the domestic water use. Replace an old toilet with a dual-flush model and you save up to 20% more water.While we are on the topic of home toilets, think about this: “Why do we use drinking water to flush toilets?”There are greywater treatment systems available that can take bathroom sink water and use it for flushing the toilet after treatment. “Recycle and reuse” must be the mantra while designing bathrooms. Smart control devices combining washing machines and toilets have also been conceptualized.Information technology — in particular Internet of Things — is also playing a role in helping citizens conserve water. A remote-controlled pump using a smartphone can make the lives of farmers easier. Power for the pump can be switched on or off from a smartphone. Even a timer can be set and its usage can be seen on pre-defined frequency.Most housing societies or apartments have underground tanks as well as overhead tanks to store water. Water is pumped from underground storage to overhead tanks for onward distribution into households. But it is very easy to install sensors that can detect storage levels and automatically operate the pump motor to lift water. Manual operation risks wastage of water from overflow. Smart devices though, can immediately turn off supply if water has reached adequate levels in the overhead tanks. What’s even better is the fact that such devices are not expensive. In fact, there are housing socities in Pune that are using such a monitoring systems. It’s only because of a lack of awareness that their use is not widespread.Such sensors should be a must in public places such as marriage halls and restaurants — responsible for a stunning amount of water use. Taps must only disperse water when a hand touches them. A city-wide rule should be implemented specifically for businesses that have high footfall during the day.In short, we must approach water conservation with a passion. Only then can we preserve our cities for future use.

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