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"For many of us, clean water is so plentiful and readily available that we rarely, if ever, pause to consider what life would be like without it." -- Marcus Samuelsson --
About seventy percent of the earth is covered by water, yet roughly only one percent of that can be used for drinking (Sustainable World Coalition, 2014). Globally, water is often limited in both quality and quantity. It is even being considered the oil of the 21st century (Sustainable World Coalition, 2014). With populations increasing and industries growing, how will we be able to keep up with the growing demand for water? It is currently estimated that, worldwide, around 783 million people still lack access to reliable, clean drinking water (Shah, 2010)—and climate change is expected to only make matters worse (Sustainable World Coalition, 2014).
Water is circulated through the hydrologic cycle, where it flows between the ocean, land, and atmosphere renewing freshwater resources. This cycle, however, shows how susceptible water is to adverse changes—especially those of global climate change. Water is a non-substitutable resource, essential to agriculture, wildlife, and human life. The World Health Organization estimates that about 80% of human illnesses are a result of insufficient water supplies and poor water quality (Raven, Berg, & Hassenzahl, 2010).