The Bucket Challenge

Do you ever think about how much water we waste by simply taking showers? Not to mention those long hot showers taken either after a cold day outside, practice, or just cause; pleasure showers especially, waste a lot of water. And we can’t forget about how much water is wasted while allowing the shower to warm up to a suitable temperature. Basically, showers are a (waste). I’m not saying that we should all abandon the shower-taking practice and just go “natural”, I like to smell good just as much as the next person. And pungent body odors aren’t necessarily my favorite form of perfume. But what I am proposing is that we think about how much water we really are wasting and if its really necessary.

Here in the Philippines a large percentage of the population doesn’t have a shower or even running water. How then, do we bathe, you ask. Simple. The bucket method. In my neighborhood running water is a luxury. Instead we have to retreive water via a local water pump, bucket by bucket. Sometimes if we’re lucky, the water may occasionally trickle out of an ancient faucet in the CR (bathroom). Carrying buckets of water isn’t too difficult (its actually a pretty good workout) but when its a family of 5 plus two volunteers and fresh water is needed for cooking, cleaning, the toilet and the shower, that’s a lot of trips to the pump.

Back to the shower: Imagine a regular sized bucket, you know, the bucket you may use to mop the floors, wash your car with or even vomit in, that kind of bucket. Now fill it with water and don’t forget to acquire a little pale to use for dumping the cold water on your body. What? You didn’t think there was hot or even warm water available, did you? Once you’ve got your bucket and pale you are set, bathe! You’ll soon find out that carelessly dumping water on your body will result in an empty bucket before you are completely clean. It takes strategic pours of the pale to achieve the desired results. Can you do it? Now imagine using even less water, that’s a challenge.

The next time you preheat your shower, hop in, and have a leisurely bathing session, think twice, okay? The water you’re wasting could go a long long way in a place not your own.