World Water Day71% of the Earth is water, of which there is a finite amount, constantly moving betwe

World Water Day71% of the Earth is water, of which there is a finite amount, constantly moving between one form and another and from one place to another. About 96.5% of that water is saline, filling our oceans and seas. The remaining 2.5% is freshwater. That small percentage of freshwater is found in ice caps and glaciers, in atmospheric water vapor, in rivers, lakes, swamps, wetlands, and streams, in the soil, deep in the Earth in aquifers, and in living organisms. There seems to be so much water on the planet, but less than 1% of it is actually available to people for use.In 1993, the General Assembly of the United Nations designated March 22nd as World Water Day, with each year given a designated theme. The 2017 theme for World Water Day is “Wastewater”, which is defined as any water that has been used in a home, business, industry, or agriculture. Today, at least 1.8 billion people across the world have drinking-water sources that are contaminated with fecal and other matter, which leaves them at risk of contracting water-borne diseases, such as polio, dysentery, cholera, and more. In lower socio-economic regions, water is also often contaminated with highly toxic chemicals and medical wastes from hospitals, small industry, and automobile garages. Much of this is disposed of in the nearest drain with little or no treatment.663 million live without a source of safe drinking water near their homes, requiring them to walk many miles to the nearest source. 400 million of those people live in Central Africa.Because of global population growth, the amount of wastewater produced and the pollutants it carries are increasing as well. One of the goals of this year’s World Water Day is to increase awareness of how wastewater can be considered as a sustainable source of water, energy, nutrients, and other materials that can be recoverable. In general, the potential of wastewater as a sustainable resource is being neglected as an offset to the growing water crisis. According to U.N. statistics, the global demand for potable (drinkable) water is expected to increase by 50% by 2030.Some parts of the world are attempting to rectify this issue. In Emalahleni, South Africa, the Anglo-American mining company created a water treatment plant that converts water from the mine to drinking water, via desalination. It treats industrial water as well, so that it can be released safely into the environment and at the same time, extracts gypsum from the water, for use as a construction material. Kalundborg, Denmark uses, in a closed cycle, the by-products of one industrial process as a resource for other processes. The Asnæ Power Station receives water from Statoil (a petroleum refining industry), treats it, and uses it for water feeding into its boiler system. The power company uses an additional amount of treated wastewater from the refinery for cleaning. As a result, approximately 3 million cubic meters (more than 790 million gallons) of groundwater and 1 million cubic meters (264 million gallons) of surface water are saved per year. Treated wastewater can also be used for agricultural irrigation needs, as it is used in Israel, providing 50% of irrigation water.Here in Texas, where we are in the midst of what authorities are calling a 20-year drought cycle, water conservation has become a priority with many. A number of areas are under mandated water restrictions. Experts with the Texas A&M University System have stated that the use of “gray water” (the soapy water that comes from washing machines, bathtubs, showers, and bathroom sinks, which in general does not contain serious contaminants) for watering grass, trees, and ornamental plants, could potentially reduce household water use for these purposes by 50%. Urban use is also being studied. Some gray water usage is currently in place in various cities,but only under strict state guidelines.Liquid water, which, to our current knowledge, is required by every living thing, is a finite resource and is already scarce in many parts of the world. Conserving it, keeping it clean, treating it, and reusing it is in the best interests of us all.CWImagehttp://bit.ly/2ntrxhhSourceshttp://www.worldwaterday.org/http://www.unwater.org/about/en/http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs391/en/https://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.htmlhttp://today.agrilife.org/2012/12/07/gray-water-landscapes/http://on.natgeo.com/2mNdjE9 -- source link

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