When we think about how human activities are affecting the earth, the consequences that come to mind often fall under global warming, such as increasing temperatures and higher rates of natural disasters. However, a detrimental result of human activities that is often overlooked is the rapid rate in which water is being used up. One reason for this for many of us who live in developed countries, water is easily accessible. Seeing water everywhere might also make us think that there is an ample supply of water on earth. It is important to be aware of the difference between water that exists on earth and the water that can be used. With this knowledge, we can better understand that the current water supply is facing a great risk and we need to actively conserve our resources.

Putting Things into Perspective

Indeed, there is a lot of water on earth. About 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. The world’s total water supply is estimated to be about 322.5 million cubic miles. That may seem like an incomprehensible volume, and it is, but not all this water is available for our use. When we break down the existing amount of water, about 96.5% is saline. The other 3.5% makes up freshwater lakes and frozen water. Out of the 3.5% of freshwater that is available, over 68% is frozen water, such as glaciers and ice caps. As a result, only about 1% of freshwater exists as groundwater, rivers, lakes, and streams. This is the water that is available to us and can be used.

Therefore, water scarcity is a real threat. Global warming is often the forefront concern of many as we can directly experience its negative effects, but there are also growing calls for awareness about the depleting supply of water. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has predicted that by 2050, 1 in 5 developing countries will face water shortages. If we continue to consume water at the rate we currently do, it is likely that many countries will have the issue of water shortage in the future.

Efforts are Underway

Water is essential in our lives. Other than the fact that we cannot survive without water, water is important for us to maintain our environment and quality of life. It is inevitable that we have to utilize water for daily activities such as growing and cleaning. However, this does not mean all hope is lost in preventing scarcity. Every effort that goes towards saving water counts. It is fortunate that more people are becoming aware of the declining water supply. As such, today, there are various inventive methods people have come up with to save water.

One such method is employed for the upkeep of public property. In order for buildings to have a clean and well-kept appearance, commercial power washing is an essential service that is often employed by institutions. Since this service is essential, a method has been found to collect, clean, and recycle the water used for power washing.

Another area of focus would be agriculture. In the past few decades, much effort has been put into developing hydroponics. Hydroponics involves growing plants without using soil and using aqueous solutions filled with minerals instead. Hydroponics being further developed and improved will be extremely beneficial to our water supply, as hydroponics use 10 times less water than traditional crop watering methods. Various innovative water saving, and recycling methods are emerging in various sectors and parts of our lives. With continued collective efforts such as these, we can slow down or even prevent the depletion of water resources.

How Does it Work?

We often hear about recycling water, but how does it work? Water recycling treats water from various sources so that they can be reused for beneficial purposes after treatment. This includes wastewater, industry process and cooling water, stormwater, agriculture runoff and return flows. In California, water treatment is an important component in their efforts to make efficient use of water supplies.

Based on California’s wastewater treatment process, there are many stages that the wastewater will go through during treatment. The water is screened to remove foreign objects from the wastewater. Primary and secondary treatment removes heavy particles and contaminants in the wastewater. There is a disinfection process to kill harmful pathogens in the water, using either chlorine or ultraviolet. Finally, there may be additional treatment to remove other constituents. All these steps are essential in treating wastewater and ensuring it is safe for use.

The treated water can be used for a variety of purposes, such as irrigation for agriculture, toilet flushing, and be used as part of the municipal water supply. There are even sewage water treatment processes in countries, such as Singapore, which ensure that sewage water becomes safe for drinking after being treated. As countries seek to rely more heavily on recycled water in future, the technology and process for recycling can be further improved to be more effective and efficient. Large-scale water conservation efforts by institutions are the harbingers of change and these efforts generate hope that a detrimental water-stressed future can be avoided.