Wash your clothes, or flush the toilet?
Tourists told to stay away from Indian city of Shimla due to water crisis Read more Public toilets were padlocked; families used disposable cutlery and threw it away; water trucks rolled in offering to fill tanks – at a steep mark-up; and people queued for hours to receive two buckets from a government supply.
An estimated 21 major cities could exhaust their groundwater supplies within two years, government advisors believe.
In the past month, Shimla, in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, has emerged as the frontline of the emergency.
“There is climate change all over India and the world,” says Jai Ram Thakur, the Himachal Pradesh chief minister.
Others say Shimla is an example of how negligence can create a water crisis, one they warn will be repeated in cities and villages across India.
It is a lack of vision’ Hours after he was sworn in as the mayor of Shimla in 2012, Sanjay Chauhan asked to visit the Giri river, one of six major sources of the city’s water supply.
Last year, more than 18 million tourists visited the city.
He compares Shimla to Cape Town, the South African city that narrowly avoided running out of water this year after officials raised warnings and citizens restricted their use.
The water would just go.” Officials in Shimla maintain the crisis was exaggerated.

May meeting of Ballymoney U3A.
Other committee members include Jean Philp and, a new member, Jim Sayers.
U3A was pleased to invite local man Frank Stewart to their monthly meeting to speak about the work of WaterAid.
This international charity has a simple aim, to use low cost sustainable solutions to provide the basic essentials of clean drinking water, proper toilets and good hygiene to some of the poorest people in the developing countries of the world.
Millions of people don’t have access to these basic services.
Right now, the some of world’s poorest people do not have access to clean water, sanitation or hygiene.
663 million people live without clean water.
To provide the basic essentials of clean water, somewhere safe to go to the toilet and hygiene training costs on average £15, and gives a life and a future, for one person.
When clean water and toilets are provided people’s lives are transformed.
WaterAid works with local partners and communities to improve access to water and sanitation and promote good hygiene.

Airway Heights residents warned not to drink tap water amid chemical contamination findings from Fairchild AFB.
Airway Heights residents lined up by the hundreds Tuesday night to receive bottled water after city officials advised residents not to drink or cook with water from city pipes, as it is likely contaminated with chemical runoff from Fairchild Air Force Base.
But the tap water “is safe for activities where water will not be ingested, such as bathing, doing laundry and washing dishes,” the city and the Air Force said in a joint statement Tuesday evening.
They said the warning was issued “out of an abundance of caution” and does not apply to residents east of Hayford Road, who get water from the city of Spokane’s system.
The chemicals are believed to have come from a fire-extinguishing foam the Air Force used from 1970 until last year on a fire-training site as well as two locations where aircraft have crashed.
Fairchild officials said last week they had expanded their search farther east and south of the base; the chemicals had been detected at concerning levels in at least 17 wells.
In the statement, Air Force Col. Ryan Samuelson said that “we cannot know the extent to which any past base activities contributed to the PFOS/PFOA concentrations in this area.” In a phone call, Airway Heights Mayor Kevin Ritchey said base officials tested four city wells and found contamination in three of them, all in the area of West 21st Avenue and South Lawson Street.
“The problem is the test results take about a week, so we’re talking seven to 10 days to be completely sure” the contamination is reduced, Ritchey said.
The EPA says most people have low levels of the chemicals in their bloodstreams because of exposure from consumer products.
The Air Force said the EPA’s recommendations are based on “cumulative lifetime exposure from water ingestion, not from skin contact or breathing water vapor.” Officials are looking for alternative water sources and may install filtration systems on the affected wells.

City of Auburn under Phase I Drought Watch.
More specifically, Dunn said the city is seven inches of rain behind where it should be this time of year.
Dunn said Lake Ogletree, the city’s primary source water supply.
“We have plenty of water,” Dunn said.
“This is more making sure we are being proactive to manage our reservoir throughout the year as well as to make sure our customers are being smart with their water use.” Customers are also reminded of the following steps to make the most efficient use of watering year round and especially during voluntary restrictions: Water at efficient times of the day to prevent evaporation due to heat and wind (after 8:00 PM and before 8:00 AM).
Check your sprinkler timer and make adjustments as needed.
Check your sprinkler system for leaks and make repairs in a timely manner to minimize water losses.
Do not let the water run while brushing your teeth, washing your face or washing dishes by hand.
Only run full loads of laundry or dishes.
By working together we can preserve the water supply and possibly prevent the need for mandatory restrictions.

Making every drop of water count.
Compared to Thailand and Singapore, which charge about RM1.09 and RM6.50 per cubic meter of water respectively for domestic use, our water prices are cheaper by at least 36%.
Nevertheless, not every Malaysian appreciates the cheaper price and uses water prudently.
We only need 100 to 120 litres of water per person per day to meet our basic needs.
Activities in the bathroom make up half of the total water consumed in a typical household.
Washing laundry accounts for one-fifth of overall household water consumption.
Running tap water can waste four to six litres of water per minute.
Use a glass of water for rinsing teeth.
We only need 40 to 50 litres of water per shower.
Consolidating washes will save not only water but also energy.

Boil-Water Advisory Issued for Southwest Shirley.
The Suffolk County Water Authority has issued a boil-water advisory for the next 48 hours for southwest Shirley following a water main break on William Floyd Parkway and an extended shutdown of the water main serving this area.
Harmful microbes in drinking water can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms and may pose a special health risk for infants, some elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.
But these symptoms are not just caused by microbes in drinking water.
If any of these symptoms are experienced and they persist, medical advice should be sought.
Door-to-door notifications are being conducted in the area roughly south of Fawn Place and west of William Floyd Parkway, and also on a number of streets just to the east of William Floyd Parkway.
Water samples are being collected to ensure the safety of water supplied to the area as a precaution.
For more information, residents are advised to call the Suffolk County Water Authority Call Center at 631-698-9500.
The Suffolk County Water Authority is an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the authority of the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York.
Serving approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents, the Authority operates without taxing power on a not-for-profit basis.