W3: "A Day Without Water" -The Day the Taps Went Dry

 

Tuesday, July 13

At first, today was like any other day. I woke up at 6:45 a.m., still sleepy, still groggy, but ready to start my normal routine. I stumbled to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. 

But when I turned on the tap...

Nothing.

Not a drop.

Initially I assumed it was just our house. Mama checked in the kitchen, shook her head, and said "No water anywhere." I did not see it as a big issue. Surely, the water would be back on soon.

It wasn't.

Once I got to school, however, the situation was worse. The bathrooms were locked! The canteen was not serving food because they could not cook or clean without water. And by 10 a.m., our headmistress made a loud announcement stating we had to go home early! Some kids cheered as they walked off with their families but as I looked over at the teachers, they looked worried and stressed.

When I got home, Papa told us the whole town's water had been shut off! Something about a pipe exploding or contamination. I did not follow all the details, but I heard fear in his voice.

By lunchtime, I was really parched. We still had some mineral water left in a couple of bottles, but Mama said we had to ration it. "Only a few sips per person," she warned! I wanted to wash my hands before I ate but there was no water for that either. I wiped my hands on a tissue and felt disgusting. My skin felt sticky. My throat was dry.

Then, around 2:00 p.m., I saw something I will never forget a very long line of people lining up outside the community center, holding empty bottles, buckets, even pots from their kitchens. Everyone was in search of whatever water supply there would be from the truck delivery sent by the government. 

Even the nearby hospital was struggling. The nurse who lives in our apartment building told Mama that the hospital could not properly clean wounds or sterilize equipment. What if someone needed a portion of the hospital's equipment during surgery? I was starting to feel scared. Really scared.

This afternoon, I heard Papa say the farms nearby were having a hard time. The crops were drying up without water. I never knew it took so much water just to grow food.

Then something fantastic happened. Our neighbor, Uncle Ravi, came out and told everyone that as a young man he used to build rainwater tanks. With his assistance we gathered old plastic barrels, scrap pipes, and even some clean sheets to filter rainwater.

It wasn't fancy, but by the evening, we had a functional rain harvesting system up on the roof. Some people even contributed by sharing what they had. One auntie gave us boiled water so I could at last enjoy a cup of tea. It was tasted like heaven.

As I sit here writing under the soft glow of our emergency lamp, I can feel the tiredness, the dirtiness and very much aware of one thing I have always taken for granted.

Water

It's so easy, so normal until we run out. We use it without even thinking we brush, we flush, we cook, we clean, we drink. But today, I witnessed the breakdown of life without it. I saw people become angry, hungry, and hopeless. But I also saw kindness, creativity, and collaboration.

If just one day without water created all of this, I cannot imagine what daily life would be like for those who live without clean water. Papa said that over 2 billion people in the world do not have access to safe water. That number makes my stomach turn.

Tomorrow, I'll go back to school. I hope the taps work again. But even if they do work, I will never let the water run long again. I will never waste water again.

Because today, I learned something important

Water is life. And life should never be taken for granted.