The impact of the global shutdown brought about by the Coronavirus is evident in photos showing clearer air and water in places that haven’t seen clear air and water in awhile. But with so many people staying home, what’s the impact on our water usage?
According to the Pacific Institute’s Dr. Peter Gleick, while we’re using more tap water, our virtual water use may be going down. “[W]e know that as we stay at home, some of us are using more and more water. We’re washing more, we’re doing more dishes and laundry. Our residential water demand seems to be going up.
“Interestingly, our commercial and industrial water demand is going down. It may turn out that during the crisis, the total demand for water may go down. That’s a temporary thing but it does suggest that there are things that we can do to improve our environment,” Gleick said.
Maybe we don’t want to start up the economy in the same way. Maybe we start it up in a way that lets us have the benefits of a healthy economy but also the benefits of a healthy environment.
PETER GLEICK