wk3 - A day without water
Diary Entry – October 12
I never thought that one day without water would feel like the world has stopped. Today, there was a water shortage in our town. There was no water in the taps, no water in the showers, no water for drinking water, nothing at all. At first I thought it was just a plumbing problem at home, but then I looked at the group chat and saw that everyone was saying the same thing. It's not just us, the whole town doesn't have access to clean water. It's chaotic scenes.
The first thing I noticed was the
smell. Less than an hour later, everything was sticky and uncomfortable. We
couldn't wash our faces, brush our teeth, or even flush the toilet. My brother
was already irritated because he couldn't take a shower like usual before
school. I was irritated too, but even more than that, I was panicking. Water is
such a basic thing, but when it's gone, you realize how much you rely on it in
your daily life.
Things were weird at school today. They announced that all water fountains were banned and students needed to bring their own bottled water. I only had one bottle of water and tried to make it last until the end. By noon, I was thirsty. I noticed that many students didn't eat lunch because the cafeteria was basically unable to cook. No clean water means no soup, no rice, not even juice. Some teachers simply gave up on teaching. It was so hot and muggy that everyone was choking.
The situation was even worse at the
nearby hospital. We passed by on our way home and saw staff busy bringing in
kettles and buckets of water. I overheard someone say that they couldn’t
properly wash their tools or give water to patients unless the water was
boiled, but even that was out of the question since there was no water supply.
My neighbor who works there said they were rationing water to keep the delivery
room clean. Imagine what it would be like to have a baby in that situation. It
makes me sick just thinking about it.
At home, cooking dinner was
impossible. We usually boiled vegetables, washed rice, and did the dishes. But
tonight? We had to eat instant crackers and canned tuna, and even that felt
like a luxury. Mom tried to stay calm, but I could tell she was stressed. She
said that in some parts of the world, this was a daily struggle and not just
one day. It was devastating for her. I had always taken clean water for
granted.
Some neighbors were creative,
though. Two families next to our door had rainwater harvesting systems, and
they were kind enough to share it with nearby residents for toilet flushing and
simple cleaning. Someone else built a small water station with the excess water
from their own water tanks. We've even started talking about building a
community reservoir for similar emergencies. Maybe all this chaos will make us
better prepared.
(Starry Studio, 2025)
I feel tired and a little ashamed when
I write till here. My whole life, I've taken clean water for granted. I never
thought twice about turning on the tap, or taking a long shower. But today I
understood how fragile that reassurance was. It's not just about drinking
water, it's about health, dignity, and survival. And I realized that for many
people around the world, going without clean water isn’t unusual. For them, it’s
just a normal part of their everyday life.
This day changed my mind. If we
don't start protecting and cherishing water resources, one day, the water
crisis will no longer be just a 24-hour crisis, but a permanent crisis. And
that's something none of us can afford.
(Waterlogic, n.d.)
Reference:
- Stink Green Gas GIF - Tenor GIF Keyboard - Bring Personality To Your Conversations | Say more with Tenor. (n.d.). Tenor. https://media1.tenor.com/m/BNI57hM6RccAAAAd/stink-green-gas.gif
- Starry Studio. (2025). Farming area with water collector in Once Human [Personal screenshot]. Once Human.
- Waterlogic. (n.d.). Waterlogic Australia Pty Ltd. (C) 2022 Waterlogic Holdings Ltd. All Rights Reserved. https://www.waterlogicaustralia.com.au/resources/blog/world-water-crisis-for-business/
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