Turn off the tap

ENAR

While some believe Lebanon houses the city where Jesus turned water into wine, most of the country’s residents today no doubt wish the government could miraculously do the opposite. Precipitation during the 2013–2014 rainy season was half the average, prompting widespread water shortages this summer. The government, however, has announced a plan: use less water and dig new wells — the latter of which may not help anytime soon. In response to this year’s water crisis, the Ministry of Energy and Water is encouraging people to turn off their taps and conserve. How much water the Lebanese use each year and how much the ministry is hoping to save with its awareness campaign, however, remain a mystery. “We don’t have accurate data,” says Randa Nemer, an advisor to Energy and Water Minister Arthur Nazarian. “But we know we’re using more than other countries per person because we pay a flat