Raman Deol

Daniel Phung
Andrew Yatteau
Sam Shenton
The Importance of Water
Script: Second Draft

“PSA” Format. Narrator only. Still photography with pan/zoom motions

Introduction[Narrator]:

H2O is probably the most widely recognized molecule. But what is it about this simple
structure that makes it so important? Water is the most vital solvent on the planet, and the earliest
life doubtless arose in an aqueous environment. It has unique chemical and physical properties
that allow life on earth to exist. It is one of few compounds that exist in a liquid state at the
temperatures that prevail over much of the earth’s surface. Its polar covalent bonds make it a
superb solvent, allowing other important biological molecules to be dissolved and transported
within living organisms. The crystal structure of solid water, ice, is less dense than the liquid and
floats on the surface, allowing aquatic organisms to continue living even when the water’s
surface has frozen, and the melting of this ice facilitates the nutrient recycling that is so
important in these ecosystems.
Water makes up 80% of the mass of most living cells, and nearly all of the chemical
reactions necessary to life occur in aqueous solution. But we can observe the importance of water
on scales much greater than the microscopic. The power of moving water has long been
harnessed as a source of energy. Great waterways and canals have been used for transportation
and commerce throughout history, and you will often find that mankind’s greatest cities will
never be far from water. We use water in great quantities on a daily basis. From our morning
shower and pot of coffee, to the laundry and car wash, to manufacturing and industry, to the
bottle of Crystal Geyser that feeds our plasma and evacuates our waste, water is an unavoidable
aspect of everyday life. In the world of luxury that we live in, it is easy to turn on the faucet as
needed and take for granted that life’s most important molecule will always be readily available.
But the importance of water, and its availability, must never be taken for granted.

Availability of Freshwater
< Shots of the ocean>
Narrator: “70% of earth’s surface is water. 97.5% of that is the saltwater in our oceans, which
for most purposes, is not useful to us.
<cut to shots of rivers, lakes, freshwater>
“Freshwater, which is so critical to our lives, is far scarcer. Of the 2.5% of the world water
supply that is fresh, even less is readily available. Most of the world’s freshwater is tied up in
polar ice caps and in soil mixtures, leaving us with less than 1% of the meager 2.5% of all the
water that is not saline. That means humankind, and all other organisms outside of the ocean, are
left with less than .0025% of earth’s water for all of our needs.
<shot of pie chart illustrating amount of water available, motion in on the sliver of usable water>
“Some estimate that humans currently use about half of that amount.
<cut the sliver in half>
<shots of examples of people extracting water.
This number may sound quite slim, which it is, but it turns out that there actually is more
than enough clean water to satisfy the needs of the entire population of the United States. The
average daily precipitation in the US amounts to 4.2 trillion gallons of water, a figure providing
enough annual precipitation to cover the entire country by 30 inches. The problem is in
harnessing our entire water budget and providing the means of getting the water where it is
needed. The US Geological Survey projects that at least 36 states will suffer a water shortage by
2013, while 3 states (California, Texas, and Florida) already consume a quarter of the US water
supply.
To better understand our need for water, let’s take a look at how we use it. 84% of the
water we use comes from fresh water sources, 20% being ground water and 64% being surface
water. Although 97% of the water in the world is found in the oceans, desalination provides only
16% of the US water supply due its relatively high cost. Urban sprawl also reduces the amount
of precipitation which may be stored in aquifers or water-bearing rock which compose our
ground water supply. On a day-to-day basis, about 450 billion gallons of water are used. 350
billion are for industrial and agricultural purposes, and 100 billion are for human consumption.
Of the amount we use in our homes and day-to-day lives, the largest portion goes down
the toilet, literally. 28% of human water use goes to flushing the toilet. Washing machines take
up to 22%, showers 21%, faucets 12%, baths 9%, and toilet leaks and dishwashing use about 8%.
Although most of this returns to the water supply after being treated, each American still uses
about 75 gallons each day.

Now that we’ve seen the importance of water and how we use it every day, what can
we do, both as a society and an individual, to preserve its availability.
Jim Thebaut, an expert who spoke recently at the United Nations International Water
Conference, believes the water crisis in the U.S. will continue to worsen unless the country
implements important policies at all levels of government. The centerpiece of this
recommendation is implementing a national water policy that includes partnerships and
coordination between the federal, state and local governments. This is essential to implement
environmentally sensitive water reuse programs, as well as national efforts for conservation and
land use planning.
As individuals we must also do our share to conserve water. Besides electing the right
people and pressuring them to place water conservation as a high priority, there are simple steps
we can take every day to lessen our water consumption:

1. Water your lawn only when it’s necessary, or install low-water use landscaping. This can
save 750-1500 gallons per month.
2. Fix leaky faucets and plumbing joints right away. This can save us 20 gallons per day for
every leak stopped.
3. Don’t run the hose while washing your car; use a bucket and rinse only as needed with
the hose, saving you up to 150 gallons each wash.
4. Install water saving shower heads. This saves 500 to 800 gallons per month.
5. Run only full loads in the wash, this saves 300 to 800 gallons per month
6. Shorten your showers; even a one or two minute reduction can save 700 gallons per
month.
 7. Don’t hose down your driveway, use a broom instead. This can save 150 gallons or more
each time.
8. Don’t use your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket, this could save you 400 to 600 gallons
per month.
9. Don’t just let the tap run while you wait for it to turn hot, catch the flow in a container so
you can use it later on. This saves 200 to 300 gallons per month.
10. Don’t water the sidewalk; make sure your sprinkler is watering plants and not just
concrete. This can save 500 gallons per month.
These are small steps we can all take to reduce our consumption. But the importance of water
conservation must remain an issue in every policymaker’s mind.

The success of a civilization is often a measure of how well it can exploit its resources; with
water being the most important resource to life, the success and the very existence of our
civilization depends heavily on our access to it. With the world’s population growing to
enormous size and the demand for the most precious resource following closely, mankind is sure
to be tested like never before when it comes to providing water to the peoples of the world.
Insufficient water supplies have often been linked to violent conflicts the world around, mostly
within third world and developing countries. But developed countries like our own are not
immune to water shortages, and shouldn’t be expected to be shielded from the grave effects of a
limited water supply that cannot support our population. With this in mind, we can ask ourselves
how high a priority it is to make the most of the 0.0025% of earth’s water that we can use.