Don't be complacent about water sufficiency

NOW that our water situation has turned around for the better, we must not lapse into complacency ("Water: Every precious drop must count"; Wednesday).

People like me from the pioneer generation endured much inconvenience and hardship due to water rationing in the 1960s.

We could not afford to have a decent shower after work or school because of water constraints, and careful use of water was the order of the day.

It is, thus, important and timely for younger generations, who have never experienced water rationing, to learn how to treat water as a very precious commodity.

Public education on the importance of water conservation should be ramped up, so that over time, this will become our way of life.

Although there is no more danger of water shortages here in the near future, conserving water is still important.

However, there are people who indulge in the indiscriminate use of water when washing their cars, and copious amounts of water are used unnecessarily when they fail to turn off the tap after use.

We must not take things for granted in our current happy state of water abundance. Instead, it is our collective responsibility to always remember the message of water conservation.

Jeffrey Law Lee Beng

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 26, 2015, with the headline Don't be complacent about water sufficiency. Subscribe