• A maioria da água de Salvador (60%. Os outros 40% vem das barragens Joanes I e II) vem da Barragem da Pedra do Cavalo, que fica perto das cidades de São Felix e Cachoeira, no recôncavo baiano. • Na Barragem, existe uma estação de tratamento, do mesmo nome.• Depois de sair dos imóveis soteropolitanos, a água vai para uma estação de tratamento de água da Embasa, a Bahia Azul, que fica na Boca do Rio. •A Bahia Azul é responsável pelo tratamento do esgoto, que depois é lançado no emissário submarino.

A imagem ao lado é uma foto retirada por Antonio Queiroz, da Atarde que mostra a Barragem da Pedra do Cavalo

O prefeito de Salvador, João Henrique Carneiro, estabeleceu uma nova lei que determina que todos os prédios e condomínios que agora estão sendo construídos na cidade tem que ter um equipamento de reutilização de água da chuva. O prédio em construção que não tiver esse equipamento será impedido de ter o alvará de funcionamento. De acordo com o presidente da SIANENCO (Sindicato das Empresas de Arquitetura e Engenharia), esse equipamento aumentará os custos do novo empreendimento.

So far, there are no known programs in Salvador devoted entirely to helping citizens reduce their water use at home. As citizens, we think that is something the next mayor might want to look at, so that in the future our city will have less issues regarding the subject.

Here in Salvador, water shortage in certain neighborhoods is due to the increase in population over the past decades. Still, it’s Embasa’s job to provide to all of us citizens of the city. They claim to be doing it right, but is that really true? Because many people from neighborhoods like Periperi, Ilha Amarela, Praia Grande, and Plataforma have been complaining about the lack of water where they live. But try to see it my way: if you save more water at home, these people might stop suffering with water shortages!

People nowadays waste too much much water on daily needs, so that in the future, when this finite resource ends, people from all countries (including Brazil, where Salvador is) will be fighting for whatever is left of it. Our future years will be a tragic war against every country, causing World War III. The estimated time for us is 160 years, but if we start conserving more water, we might not have this terrible future. So what do you say? Not conserving water and possible having World War III, or conserving water and having a decent future?

Here are some reasons to get you motivated to save water:

Well for one thing, if you save water, you save your wallet. That’s right, conserving water means that when your water bill comes at the end of the month, it’ll be way smaller! This is not only because you save water, but you also save energy.

It’s better for the environment! (duh!) The more water you save, the more you give to other people, plants and animals. Also, we won’t have to leave more water in the sewage, without any place to go. You can’t take and not give back!

Primeiramente, chuveiros ecológicos são chuveiros com o potencial de diminuir a quantidade de água usada no banho e a conta da água. Infelizmente, aqui no Brasil esses chuveiros saem por um preço meio “salgado,” pois vão de R$ 500 a R$ 1000. Ainda sim, chegam a reduzir o consumo de água em cerca de 48%. Para aqueles que tem condições para obter esse tipo de chuveiro, é um ótimo investimento. Pense assim: Posso estar gastando essa grande quantia agora, mas esse produto me poupará muitos gastos futuros com contas de água e a perda de agua .

In this diagram, you can see the amount of water you waste every year. You can help conserve water by all of those ways, but helping reduce the usage. In this diagram, it compares the amount of water you spend inside your house. As you can see, toilet is the one which most wastes. There is a campaign in Rio de Janeiro that says you should pee in the shower so you don´t have to flush the toilet as much. This research was done in 1999, but it is still accurate.

Turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth.Take shorter showers.While washing yourself with soap, shampoo, hair

conditioner, etc turn off the water.While lathering soap on the dishes, turn the faucet off.Fix leaks ASAP.Reuse the water from your shower for things like

washing your car by leaving a bucket next to youwhen you are taking a shower, then using it again.

Install eco-friendly showers at your home.

Green Trust

•http://www.green-trust.org/wordpress/2008/02/23/eco-friendly-showers/

E-How

*http://www.ehow.com/facts_5549883_water-go-after-leaves-house.html

Embasa

•http://www.embasa.ba.gov.br/novo/Default.asp

•www.embasa.ba.gov.br/noticias/exibe_noticias.asp?cod=645

•0800 0555 195 (Telefone- Embasa 24h)

Wikipedia

• http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barragem_da_Pedra_do_Cavalo

Lake George Association

•http://www.lakegeorgeassociation.org/what-we-do/Lake-friendly-Living/Water-Conservation.htm

Lenn Tech

•http://www.lenntech.com/water-quantity-faq.htm

Huffington Posthttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/04/brazil-wants-its-reidents_n_251116.html

Band

•http://www.band.com.br/jornalismo/conteudo.asp?ID=310454

Kadê Conquista

•http://www.kadeconquista.com/v1/2011/02/15/falta-dagua-castiga-populacao-de-bairros-perifericos/

G1

•http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Brasil/0,,MUL337212-5598,00.html

ExpoUNA

•http://expouna.blogspot.com/2010/06/chuveiro-ecologico-reduz-em-48-o.html

A Tarde

•http://www.atarde.com.br/cidades/noticia.jsf?id=862771

Portal iBahia

•http://www.portalibahia.com.br/falabahia/?p=22862

Natureba

•http://www.natureba.com.br/economia-agua.htm

About My Planet

•http://www.aboutmyplanet.com

Water-Use It Wisely

*http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php