I woke up on last Sunday's morning to see our compound flooded with water, and when I looked closely, I saw that someone had opened the water tap to a bucket and left without considering to come and check if it was full to turn it off. I was deeply angry because that has been their way of using water in the compound. I am the one who pumps the water, and they don't often contribute to buying fuel to pump water. My mind was boiling with anger, so I turned it off and stayed on the spot to wait for whoever had turned on the water pump to come and face my confrontation. But after waiting for about a minute, my mind began to calm down, even though the person had not come. I should have been angrier because how could someone put on the tap and leave it for 20 minutes without thinking of coming to check on it? I assumed the person had noticed that I was waiting and decided to stay put to avoid facing me.

As my mind calmed, I left the scene and let the conscience of the person judge them. However, after I entered my house, I began to think of ways to stop the way they abuse water when they don't contribute much to pumping it. I thought of ways to let everyone in the compound know the importance of managing water, especially considering that we don't get public electricity to pump it, and I'm the one buying fuel with my money to pump the water most of the time...and the cost of fuel these days is extremely high

The only viable solution I came up with was to politely ask them to reduce their water wastage. I know there are people who don't know how to use a little water; all they do is pour, pour, and pour, flooding the compound even when they're washing just one shirt. After asking politely, I also told them that if the reckless waste of water continued, I would have to get my own big storage tank to pump water for myself and stop pumping water for the general tank in the compound. They would then have to wait for public electricity, which comes once in a blue moon, to pump water.

They all agreed to what I said, and ever since last Saturday, I've been monitoring how they use water. I think it has changed a little, which might mean they're trying to adjust or maybe pretending for the moment. Besides that, I've gotten some drums in my house to fill with water when I pump.

Once I notice that such wastage of water has started again, I'm going to go on a "pumping strike" to show them that I mean business. Until they fully repent, I'm not going to waste my money on pumping water.

In a situation where water is likened to gold, there's every need to know how to use it effectively; otherwise, it becomes a means of lavish spending.

Thanks for reading.

This is entry to #WasteLessWednesday

All photos are mine