Opinion

A long time ago, a father asked his elementary-school-aged children if it would be a greater loss if he were to destroy a 10-rupee note or let the water faucet run for five minutes.

Most of the kids said, "Destroying the 10-rupee note, of course!" (In those days, 10 rupees had a much greater value than today.)

One child thought that her father's question was a tricky query. So she said, "Wasting water costs more. Water is much more expensive even though our water bill is not exorbitant".
The father was very pleased with his daughter's response. He asked to compare the cost.
How much electric power is used and how many labor hours are used up in the process of bringing water to people's houses?
How much does it precisely cost:
to bring water to the water cleaning plant?
to use the energy to clean the water?
to bring it to your house?
to remove dirty water from your house through sewage?
to bring it back to the cleaning plant?
Naturally the list flabbergasted the kids. They had never given a thought to the excessive cost involved in the process.
But much more important, said the father, was a Hadith from our very beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who said: Don't waste water, even when you are doing wazoo.
Apart from the Hadith, cost-conscious consumers may be interested in knowing that per the Lombard newsletter 'The Pride' dated April/May, 2013, City of Chicago has raised its rates by 15 %. As they are the suppliers, the DuPage Water Commission is passing this cost on to their customers, that is to you and to me.
After giving a detailed cost analysis, the newsletter said that for an average residential customer who uses 8,000 gallons on a bimonthly basis, the increase would cost an additional $8.27 on a bimonthly basis.
The wisdom of the Hadith applies to all times and all places. The Hadith adds: Do not waste water even when you are doing wazoo from the water of a flowing river.
The cost of water usage has increased while the value of the dollar is having a free fall as prices of all things have increased manifold.
Can we make an effort to be frugal in the use of water, and can we teach our families, including the maids and cleaning ladies, to be frugal? With this effort we will be pleasing Allah and saving money, Inshallah.
In deference to the above-mentioned father, I will add that I have the honor of being his daughter. May Allah give him an exalted place in Paradise, Ameen.