Because water is continually recycled in the Earth’s hydrologic cycle, water wasters are under the misapprehension that water doesn’t need to be conserved. Since all the water dumped on lawns, evaporated from swimming pools and flushed down the drain will come back to earth for use at a later time, they figure conservation is overrated.
Wrong. 
Having a stable amount of water in the hydrologic cycle doesn’t guarantee us use and availability of that water when we need it. Water pollution makes much of our freshwater unusable for drinking and agriculture; and the location of freshwater, competition for it and misuse of it mean that water isn’t available for many people and many uses when it’s most needed. When freshwater sources are either too polluted or withdrawal rates exceed replenishment rates, it creates water shortages, and, in fact, freshwater is in shorter supply each year.
No matter how much water is within the Earth’s hydrologic cycle, the growing number of people, and interests that must share it, means we have to adapt to getting along with less. For tips on conserving water at home, visit our Green Guide pages.
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