Water is a precious resource and one of the most topical issues in Ireland in the past few months and even years. All starting in 2015, when domestic water charges were introduced with fierce opposition, causing a U-turn in policy and the replacement of those charges with a levy for excessive usage. Now, water seems to be a major issue again, with water conservation efforts and a recent warning by Irish Water that ‘’Day Zero’’ may occur by October. However, what is day zero and how has this got anything to do with a city on the other side of the world?
Day Zero, put simply, is the day a city runs out of water from the taps, meaning chaos as local councils will likely struggle to provide water to all the residents and force widespread restrictions and even crimes for using water. It certainly may seem drastic, but that’s what Irish Water have currently been threatening may happen to Dublin in October, and despite claims of scaremongering the population, this is certainly not a new problem as water restrictions have been in place across the country since early July and seem set to continue for the next few weeks until a substantial amount of rain emerges into the reservoirs.
This of course is going to be helped by the storm, called Storm Ernesto, this weekend the 18th. However, the shortage of water does not seem likely to dissipate as an issue for many years to come as global warming grips the earth further and further. In contrast, the Indian province of Kerala has faced the worst monsoon season for over a century with 300 confirmed deaths so far, proving evident that it’s no longer mere coincidences.
Indeed, and thankfully, the restrictions on water combined with conservation efforts should subside the problem of water in Ireland until next summer. Yet, across the world in Cape Town, the city had to overcome an extremely similar situation of water running out, with permanent effects likely to be created and were only within 60 days of reaching the dreaded ‘’Day Zero’’. This sparked fines for outdoor bootleg car washes, most of which depended on the business for an income and forced communal water stations as even as an coastal city like Dublin ,the lack of fresh water proved critical for survival of the city and its people, only being able to push back Day Zero until next year at the earliest.
So, what can we do about a global epidemic? Sadly, not much. Despite many pleas to conserve water, it seems only a matter of time before water becomes the new oil and conflict both nationally and internationally are caused. Even with new scientific innovations or less water usage, with ice caps melting fresh water seems to becoming more of a rarity. Only with a group effort across the world and even a development of water conservation efforts in LDC’s, who use excessive water to grow their economies, only by doing simple things by turning off taps when brushing teeth or having showers rather than baths may only delay the inevitable rather than prevent it.
-Ross Boyd, lead writer
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