It’s a well-known fact that 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water. However, the majority of these water resources are not suitable for drinking. 97% of the water is saline, leaving only 3% as fresh water, of which only 1% is accessible to humans, as the rest is deep underground or in glaciers.

The crisis is here

In terms of renewable water resources, based on the CIA World Factbook 2008, Kazakhstan ranks 66th in total volume. While we are not leading in water reserves, we are far from having the least. Grenada ranks last at 174th place. Brazil ranks first, followed by Russia.

Despite our seemingly secure position, we live as if our water resources are inexhaustible. Water suitable for drinking is generously used for car washes, flushing toilets, watering gardens, and cleaning floors and streets. People would gladly use recycled water, but there is nowhere to get it from.

Both to drink and to flush

According to our ecologists’ calculations, Kazakhstanis flush 40% of the daily water norm down the toilet. Considering that we are already experiencing a shortage of drinking water, this is a real outrage. On average, a person visits the toilet 4-10 times a day. This means that 6-10 liters of water, which could have been used to quench people’s thirst, are flushed down the drain. Looking at the bigger picture, one person flushes up to 1200 liters down the drain per month.

Recycled water could not only solve this problem but also reduce the tariff for household water for Kazakhstanis.

In European countries, certain measures have already been taken to avoid wasting water so thoughtlessly. For example, after using water in the sink, it is not immediately sent to the drain; instead, it is directed to a tank where it can be used to flush the toilet.

In plumbing stores, they even sell combined types of toilets. Kazakhstanis do not have such a choice. All we can afford is to find homemade inventions on classified ads websites. As for the mass re-planning of Kazakhstani bathrooms, many are skeptical about this venture. In other words, the government is not ready to allocate money for this.

Another option is to purchase water-saving equipment. For example, special taps with automatic water shut-off. There are thermostats with automatic temperature adjustment. According to the manufacturers’ claims, they can save up to 50% of the water that is sometimes wasted down the drain while Kazakhstanis adjust the water temperature in the shower. All this could significantly save water, especially if every Kazakhstani installed such technologies in their home. But they also have drawbacks – buying them can hit the wallets of most of the population.

There are also more budget-friendly ways to save: you can put a brick or a liter bottle of water inside the flush tank. This way, you can save a whole liter of water without damaging the plumbing. This practice was widely used in London when the city faced a severe water shortage.

We sow, we reap, we water…

If municipal water is understandable, it is not clear where to get water for watering the same city trees. Drilling a well to find such water is costly, and collecting meltwater is unprofitable. The only option is to order recycled water. There are even such services on classified ads websites.

For example, in the capital, they promise to deliver 4000 liters of water for 8000 tenge. But if the buyer does not accept the order on time, they will have to pay the supplier an additional 6000 tenge for each hour of downtime. To avoid overpaying, it is necessary to prepare a special container near private territories in advance for such cases. The volume of ordered water will depend on the number of plants that need watering or the cars that need washing. It is difficult to say how profitable it is to order recycled water.

Another way to solve the problem is to lay a special pipeline for recycled water in cities. However, according to experts, this is also not entirely profitable. Or rather, it is inconvenient – this should have been thought out before the cities were built up. Now such a measure can only disrupt the already established drinking water supply systems.

So, there is no way out of the existing water shortage? Only representatives of the authorities will be able to answer this question. Most likely, only when the «X» hour comes.