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Water Restrictions Give Athens Glimpse Into Third World Living Conditions

by Tolu Ogbechie
11/10/2007

For people in Athens, Ga., not having running water is an inconvenience. For 1.1 billion people in third world countries, it is a fact of life.

A building in Abbey West apartments had no running water Tuesday for more than five hours. Managers told residents it was because of a water leak that needed to be fixed.

There has been a widespread call to action for all residents of Georgia to be careful with their water use, but the idea of not having running water is very foreign to most people in Georgia.

University student Jessica Ujcko, one of the residents at Abbey West Apartments, cannot imagine her life without water.

“It’s just always there, I don’t have to think about it,” said Ujcko. “I put soap on my hands before I realized there was no water to wash it off.”

While Ujcko waits for her water to be turned back on, people in underdeveloped countries walk miles each day to ensure they have water to drink. The U.K. Department for International Development reports that women in Africa spend 26 percent of their time fetching water for their families.

In Athens, Ga., water conservation means residents are not being able to water their lawns or wash their cars in their driveways. In developing countries, water conservation is evident is something more extensive.

The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council estimates that on average, North Americans use 106 gallons of water per day and the average person in a developing country uses 2.6 gallons for their drinking, cooking and washing.

Temi Siyanbade, who recently traveled to Nigeria, noticed that running water was scarce and observed differences in living in North America and third world countries.

“I myself find it hard to take a five minute shower here without complaining,” said Siyanbade. “However, at home in Nigeria, my limited showers were awesome. I appreciated every bath that I took despite the limitations on the quantity of the water.”

Siyanbade stresses the need for appreciation of our water and a desire to conserve the finite supply of water we have.

“We should be grateful for the abundance we have and make an effort to be wise in our water usage.”