The past century has been a massive breakthrough for humanity both technologically and socially. The advancements that have taken place in that period have heavily contributed to making modern life simpler, easier, and more sustainable. However, with great power comes great responsibility. As we continue to evolve, our reliance on natural resources keeps increasing. Unfortunately, there only is a finite amount of these resources to tend to our infinite demands, so smart resource management is crucial for our longevity as a species.

One of the most important natural resources is water, particularly freshwater. It constitutes no more than 3% of the world’s entire supply, with the remaining 97% being found in oceans and containing too much salt. Freshwater is essential not only for our survival but also for many of our activities. These include energy generation, food production, sanitation, and product manufacturing to name a few. Sadly, our over-exploitation of this resource is starting to exhibit grave consequences, and if we don’t act fast, we’ll soon be in a lot more trouble than we expect.

Where Our Water Supply Comes From

In ancient times, humans had several methods for obtaining freshwater, but most of their supply originated primarily from rain. Back then, rainwater was sufficiently clean, so many civilizations were able to get enough water by simply gathering it in large containers when it rains. In places that didn’t receive adequate amounts of rain, people resorted to other natural sources like rivers, streams, and sometimes groundwater. Many challenges arose with that, though. Most of the necessary technology needed to dig deep enough for groundwater was missing, and doing the job manually was cumbersome and impractical.

Today, it is a completely different story. Despite having many great technologies that are able to extract water from the hardest of places, the world continues to face extreme crises. In fact, more than 1 billion people don’t have enough access to water every year. A large amount of our rain today cannot be collected due to it being acidic. Acid rain is a direct result of air pollution where the rain gets contaminated on its way through the atmosphere because of the chemical emissions present in it. This type of rain destroys and contaminates anything it falls on including plants, buildings, other bodies of water, and may sometimes even seep into groundwater. Another big threat is the un-monitored spilling of waste into our water supply. Until now, many countries still have no regulations that prohibit dumping pollutants into rivers, and many of those who do are not enforcing them enough. It is therefore unsurprising to know that potentially dangerous contaminants have been found in tap water all over the U.S.

Fortunately, many modern inventions have been created to counter these problems. Advanced filtration systems are now able to extract clean and drinkable water from the dirtiest of sources, and are cheap enough to be affordable in most households. We now also have specialized equipment to locate and dig deep into the earth’s surface in search of fresh water. The only question that remains is if these methods are efficient and sustainable enough to support humans in the long term.

The Different Uses of Water

We undoubtedly use water in many of our activities. At home, we need it to drink, shower, cook, and disinfect the house. For this reason, we must ensure our water supply’s integrity and cleanliness.

Water is also indispensable in the industrial field where it is used in production as well as in machine maintenance. One of the greatest obstacles faced while using machinery is the excessive heat generation. Thankfully, water serves as a great coolant given its ability to rapidly absorb heat. It is impossible to utilize saltwater for this purpose because the minerals present in it make it conductive, running the risk of short-circuit or other mechanical damage.

When it comes to food production, water is needed every step of the way. As a matter of fact, a whopping 70% of our freshwater supply is used for agriculture. This includes not only growing plants but also taking care of livestock as a source of food. It was found that around 1,800 liters are needed to produce the amount of beef present in a single McDonald’s burger.

Conclusion

The importance of water cannot be underestimated. We use it for just about anything in our daily life and can’t survive for a week without it. Unfortunately, as we continue to irresponsibly contaminate our water supply, we will soon find ourselves in a tight spot in light of the increasing demand for water. As a responsible member of society, one must make an effort to contribute to limiting wasted water. This can be done by taking shorter showers, cutting off the water when not in use, and reusing it when possible. Another good practice would be finding alternatives that don’t require water like using UV sanitizing for baby equipment and artificial grass for lawns. After all, we’re in this together and must work hand-in-hand to battle a potential global crisis.