Your Letters

Vital to teach young ones to save water now

I agree with the point Mr Lock Chee Wee makes in his letter about how different generations react to the water price hike (Water price hike and the generation gap; April 2).

The price mechanism is not a one-size-fits-all solution, as it would most likely impact those who bear the cost burden and pay the utility bill. However, this should not stop us from imparting water conservation lessons to the younger generation.

My parents taught me how to save water and, later, explained to me the importance of doing so.

In primary school, my parents used an egg timer for me and my siblings, to help us limit our showers to 10 minutes and reduce water usage.If we spent more than the allocated time, my parents made us pay a dollar for every extra minute spent. We were always out of the bathroom in under 10 minutes.

When shower times were under control, my parents moved on to other water-saving lessons - turning the water off when applying shampoo on hair, or collecting cold water in a pail while waiting for the water to heat up.

The older generation can help younger Singaporeans by putting in place simple mechanisms that can help them save water. Waiting until the younger people start paying the utility bill will be a little too late to change their water consumption habits. Inculcating water conservation habits in households goes hand in hand with the Government's attempts to educate the wider population.

In addition to Singapore's water supply, our energy resources are also likely to come under pressure in future, leading to more price hikes. If we start now, we may be able to stave off price increases.

Joanne Heng Kui Tsyr (Ms)

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on April 09, 2017, with the headline Vital to teach young ones to save water now. Subscribe