Wasted Water On The Beach

One of my goals everyday that I pick up beach trash is to rescue wasted plastic bottled water. It is appalling at how many people just throw away gallons of water by leaving them in the trashcan or the beach unopened.  In April on my beach cleans, I collected about 20 gallons of water either left on the beach or in trash cans.

Not only is this plastic pollution, disrespectful to the earth and other people, but shows a total disregard for water as a valuable resource. It shows an ignorance of the 2.5 billion people that globally that have no water. It demonstrates an indifference to the 1.6 Million people in United States who do not have access to clean and safe water. It shows scorn to the California taxpayers who pay $428 million each year to clean up trash and marine debris.

• 1.6 million people in the United States reported that they lacked access to one of the following: a toilet, a tub or shower, or running water.
•  Sandbranch, Texas. Located 14 miles from Dallas, Sandbranch has never had running water in the 138 years since it was established
•  Michigan: tainted water from lead pipes was found in more than half of Detroit’s public schools (Detroit Free Press)
• More than six percent of Alaskans are living without running water or sewage systems. (Global Citizen)
• As many as 63 million people — nearly a fifth of the United States — from rural central California to the boroughs of New York City, were exposed to potentially unsafe water more than once during the past decade, according to a News21 investigation of 680,000 water quality and monitoring violations from the Environmental Protection Agency. (USA Today
• Of the 5,000 drinking-water systems that racked up health-based violations in 2015, more than 50 percent were systems that serve 500 people or fewer.
• In 2017, more than 17,500 Detroit residents lost water access, the Detroit Free Press reported, and thousands more remain vulnerable to a practice the UN called “contrary to human rights.”

How do you think any of the above people would feel about wasted water?

Two cases of bottled water were found on the beach and scattered in the picnic area. 90% of the bottled water was not opened.

Plastic Bottles at at firepit at Mission Beach jetty. Three of the four were full, never opened.

Six bottles of water were pulled from this trash can. 3 were not opened and the rest had partial water. Yes, I dig through the trash cans because I cannot just let both recycled materials and water go to waste.

Plastic bottles picked up in front of Belmont Park. About a half gallon of water left behind.

The good news, is I am stocking up water for my plants this summer. Unfortunately it is because of apathy from locals and tourists. That makes me sad

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