Water. Given its pervasive use in everyday life, it is no wonder that it is heavily explored in the primary school Science syllabus. Living organisms need it to ensure their survival. People need it to carry out their household chores, such as washing dishes.

Since water is so precious, city planners are meticulous about protecting the water supply. For instance, many light plastic ‘shade balls’ are often released into water bodies. These balls reduce the exposed surface area of the water, thus decreasing its rate of evaporation. Similarly, when potted plants are not watered, they curl up their leaves. Curling up their leaves helps them reduce water loss because the exposed surface area of the leaves is lessened.

We need to take safety precautions when handling water. First and foremost, we need to keep our hands dry when we use electrical appliances. Otherwise, we may experience an electric shock as water is a conductor of electricity. Not only that, designers have to carefully consider the properties of materials to decide which ones are deemed suitable for use when they come into contact with water. Raincoats and helmets are made of waterproof material so that we do not get wet when it rains. Ships are designed such that they can float on water in spite of their heavy size.

Indeed, water offers us a variety of benefits. Let’s all do our part to embrace sustainable practices that will protect this invaluable resource.