Prelude
Water conservation efforts are at their highest. This is due to the fact that there is no water to create more freshwater, so the only option is to conserve the water that is already present and make sure it is at health standards. Water conservation encompasses the policies, strategies and activities to maintain fresh water as a sustainable resource to our environment. Factors like population, household size, and affluence, all affect how much water is used. With the over population of the Earth, this is an increasing problem. The goals of water conservation are sustainability, energy conservation, and habitat conservation. Each imperative to the world we live in today. Currently in the United States, there are many initiatives already in place in many different facets to try to conserve the freshwater sources and water in general. Most of these are from Non-profit organizations like WWF or National Geographic, large organizations most people have heard of. The government also has programs in place to help as do private companies.
EPa
The government has attempted to take steps on preserving and helping our environment. The organization that is in charge of this the United States Environmental Protection Agency known as the EPA. Since 1970, they have been working to protect the environment and human health. The EPA has drafted “Seven Priorities for the EPA’s Future” which are as follows: Taking Action on Climate Change, Improving Air Quality, Assuring the Safety of Chemicals, Cleaning Up Our Communities, Protecting America’s Waters, Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice and Building Strong State and Tribal Partnerships. The EPA does work in all forms of environmental protection. When it comes to water protection, they have done work in watersheds, wetlands, rivers and streams, oceans, coasts, estuaries, beaches, coral reefs, lakes and ground water. The EPA website is an important site to consider when wondering how one can do their part to kept the environment in any way.
NRCS
Since its founding in 1935, the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) water quality objectives have been embedded in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soil and water conservation programs. Throughout the years, they did work to show the fertilizer and pesticide impacts on water quality. They realized in the 1980s, that even stronger emphasis needed to be placed on helping improve water quality by reducing sedimentation. Through the later 1980s and 1990s, they partnered with other agencies to develop a wide number of projects and programs designed to connect the benefits of conservation practices with improving water quality. This organization is a great example of how far water conservation and quality efforts started. Today, the organization focuses on landscape conservation initiatives, small watershed targeting, and voluntary water quality efforts. Without focusing on the quality of water, the standards can be lacking and thus leading to unsafe water. (Christensen) This organization is also run by the government through the United State Department of Agriculture. It is important that these programs stay well funded because they can be the leading source of efforts and motivation throughout the nation.
chevron
Chevron has an excellent stance when it comes to doing their part in helping the environment. It is notable that they have programs in place because they are a privately run company that is not getting any funding from the government but they are still very much dedicated to the water conservation efforts. Because they are located in so many places across the globe, they try to support diverse programs to help support the environment. In 2007, they deployed the Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment process that requires that all new capital projects be evaluated for potential environmental, social, and health impact. The process is used to anticipate and plan for the avoidance, minimization and mitigation of potentially significant negative impacts. When it comes to conserving freshwater resources, Chevron recognizes the value of freshwater as a fundamental social, environmental and economic resource. They have a Fresh Water Position Statement where they list out their goals with respect to fresh water. The company has many projects in place that have received acclaim. In California on their largest oil field, they collaborated with the local water district to provide much-needed water for agricultural use. In addition, in April 2011, their refinery in Richmond, California was named recycled Water customer of the Year by the WaterReuse Association. What the refinery does it recycles municipal waste water into steam used in refinery operation, thereby freeing up 3.5 million of gallons of freshwater per day for public use. This big scale company is helping to bring awareness to the issue. They employ these tactics, in hopes that others will follow their example. It shows that they are not sitting around but finding and innovating ways to help out the environment in the best way that they can. Chevron is a very large global company, so seeing them make these efforts is huge for conservation. ("Environment")
non-profits
It is worth noting that there a dozens of companies dedicated to the environment and protection efforts that are not in it for the money. One most have heard of it National Geographic Society which is the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world, established in 1888. They are the leading source for current freshwater conservation efforts. Periodically, they have articles written by experts in the field. One written by Sandra Postel, entitled “We’re Heading Into the Rapids All Wrong”, gives her take on how the government is addressing the water crisis. She happens to be the host of NewsWatch: Water Currents, which is a section of Nat Geo, dedicated to ideas and insights about the world of freshwater (Postel). There are many other Nonprofit organizations out there doing work for water conservation. One example is The Nature Conservancy. They have a large sector of their corporation dedicated to freshwater conservation. They have established a few “Signature Programs” like Great Rivers Partnership, Global Freshwater Program, and the Sustainable Rivers Project. As stated on their website “From the American Midwest to China, from Africa to South America, we’re working to protect and conserve freshwater ecosystems for people and nature.” ("Rivers")