One of the most crucial resources for an individual’s survival is water, which is a reason for the celebration of Water Day on March 22.

The purpose of this holiday is to proclaim the importance of water and raise awareness for the many issues related to water. Water helps people stay hydrated, hygienic and sanitary. Without water, humans and many other organisms would not be able to survive.

“Society would ground to a halt without freshwater,” science teacher Joshua Cooper said. “It might sound like a subjective opinion, but it is literally the single most important substance on this planet. It is also relatively rare, as far as we can tell, in the universe. While there may be recent reports about liquid water being found elsewhere in the solar system, my guess is that it would not be classified as ‘freshwater.’”

The earth faces many issues with the involvement of water, over 800 million people can’t access clean water to drink or keep themselves sanitary, and plastic soluble percentages are growing in our freshwater supplies as plastic pollution gets worse. National Geographic states that the production of plastic soluble products has increased since the 1950’s, therefore an increase of plastic soluble pollution. Plastic soluble is manufactured using chemicals and components that break down over time. These chemicals are toxic and harm organisms when they interfere with water ecosystems. 

“A big water related issue that bothers me a lot is the fact that some people around the world don’t have enough water to perform daily tasks,” junior Nikita Siriguri said. “Everyone should be able to have access to drinkable water.” 

In a study done by the Bureau of Reclamation, only 3% of the earth’s water is fresh. According to Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, water pollution is the contamination of water sources by substances which make the water unusable for drinking, cooking, cleaning, swimming and other activities. Students may reduce water pollution by doing something as simple as throwing away their trash in a garbage can to reduce trash pollution.

“The purpose of this holiday isn’t to just conserve water for one day, it’s to learn to value our water on Earth and educate ourselves to respect it,” junior Ella Sabzevari said. “Overtime, my family and I have been slowly taking shorter showers that last no longer than 10 minutes while still staying clean.”

Water conversion comes in many forms and is the practice of using water efficiently to reduce unnecessary water usage. Constellation offers a list of ideas on how to reduce water.

These small actions contribute to everyday water conservation that can add up over time.

“It’s really not that difficult to conserve water in the long run,” Siriguri said. “I literally keep my sink water off while I’m brushing my teeth, and just that alone saves so much water.” 

By choosing water efficient produce and foods, not polluting groundwater supply, and avoiding tap water, students can aid with water conservation, according to Cooper. 

“This holiday won’t impact anything long term unless a critical mass of people actually take action to make a substantive change,” said Cooper.