It is hard to imagine that the planet earth could possibly be experiencing an epic crisis of water deficiency. Earth is made up of 75 percent water, why, if water is in so abundant, is it such a precious commodity? Some countries have begun to ration water, while others act as if there is an endless supply. The numbers are very deceiving simply because the water that is in such short supply is fresh water, which is crucial for all aspects of life. "About 97.5% of all water is the saltwater of the oceans and seas. The remaining 2.5 percent is freshwater-water with salt content of less than 0.1percent. This is the water on which most terrestrial biota, ecosystems, and humans depend. Of the 2.5 percent, though, two-thirds is bound up in the polar ice caps and glaciers. Thus, only 0.77 percent of all water is found in lakes, wetlands, rivers, groundwater, biota, soil, and the atmosphere. On a global level the largest amount of water is used for irrigation, nearly 70 percent, while industry uses 20 percent and actual human use is 10 percent.”(Wright& Boores, 2005) Healthy aquatic ecosystems are essential providers of food and several other important bi-products necessary for life. The world currently faces a water crisis, both of amount and purity, caused by a surge in world population, food production practices, living standards, and industrialization. Improvements in wastewater management have had a vital impact on the biological differences in aquatic ecosystems. The main objective of wastewater treatment is to have all waste products from humans and industry be returned safely to the environment. By definition, “wastewater is used water. It includes substances such as human waste, food scraps, oils, soaps and chemicals. I... ... middle of paper ... ...or irrigating crops. Retrieved from Science Daily website: http://www.sciencedaily.com Lawson, J. (2013, October 21). Technology creates a cost savings at wastewater treatment plant. Kenosha News. Retrieved from kenoshanews.com Parmionova, C. (2010). Sick water:the central role in wastewater management. Water and Relief International. Perlman, H. (2014). USGS:science for a changing world. Retrieved from http://water.usgs.gov/edu Stages of Wastewater Treatment [Print Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.sheffy6marketing.com/ Wastewater Treatment Facility [Print Photo]. Retrieved from Image: http://www.ibwc.state.gov/Organization/Operations/Field_Offices (2008). The clean water people. World Environmental Federation, Retrieved from http://www.wef.org/ Wright, R. T., & Boorse, D. F. (2005). Environmental science. (12th ed., p. 240). Pearson Education.
Nebel, Bernard J., and Richard T. Wright. Environmental Science. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998.
Cunningham, William P. Cunningham, Mary Ann and Saigo, Barbara. Environmental Science, A Global Concern. McGraw-Hill. New York, NY. 2005.
The presence of excess nutrients in fresh water bodies can breed bacteria that can kill both livestock and humans if not properly filtered and sanitized. This is particularly problematic in areas that do not have access to clean water such as developing countries. The presence of excess nutrients in water supplies can cause sickness in humans that exacerbates the issues of poverty across the globe. In addition, to humans becoming sick, “Mass mortalities of wildlife have been attributed to cyanobacterial blooms (Dodds et al., 2008). These deaths can be avoided if care is taken in how humans affect the biogeochemical cycles on this planet. Together, all of the impacts mentioned that include losses of aesthetics and use, losses of biodiversity, and decreasing water quality cost large amounts of money to human populations every year. As Dodd’s et al. estimated, just in fresh water ecosystems the annual costs of eutrophication totals more than 2.2 billion dollars annually(Dodd’s et al.2008), and this is a conservative estimate. If the costs associated with salt water ecosystems were added to the costs estimated in fresh water habitats, this number would be much higher. Overall, the issue of eutrophication has massive impacts across many scales and represents a key issue that
Stephenson, R., & Blackburn, J. J. (1998). The Industrial Wastewater Systems Handbook. New York: Lewis Publishers.
According to the United States EPA, only one percent of all water on Earth is deemed suitable for human consumption. In a world with a continually-growing population in need of an ample water supply, the world's sources of fresh water are showing increased signs of overuse as they are emptied faster than they can be naturally refilled. In fact, over the past half-decade the demand for water has more than tripled as the watersheds across the globe have been devastated (EPA).
Living in a world that is roughly 70% water, and all living creatures found on this planet depend on this resource whether directly or indirectly, making water quality an important topic and vital to sustain our world of cycles. “Determination of status of water quality of a river or any other water sources is highly indeterminate. It is necessary to have a competent model to predict the status of water quality and to advice for type of water treatment for meeting different demands.” (Bai V, 2009) With most of our water on this planet made of salt water and our constant damage towards the remaining water that can be consumed by humans is diminishing with improper distribution on a global scale. If our greed comes before companionship, and our quality of life is more important than pollution, then our future generations to come will be born into a world of chaos, and a scarce of a basic human necessity.
Wastewater must be sent to a Wastewater Treatment Plant where is it treated in several ways to ensure the wastes are removed.
Nebel, B. J. & Wright, R.T. 2002. Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future, New Jersey, Prentice – Hall, Inc
Throughout the path of human and mammal history, there have been a small number of characteristics in life that are needed to maintain and facilitate survival. These necessities consists of water, nutrition, shelter and oxygen, which many historians, anthropologists and humans in general have began to realize. Through this realization, one apprehends the fact that out of the four requirements of life, water by far provides as the most important. Each year, the world population increases exponentially; today being over seven billion. Due to this increase human beings have begun to experience a serious crisis dealing with the loss of water. The world has become limited with its supply of water, due to its high demand. Humans believe water is a resource that is completely renewable and everlasting, but through many years water supply is becoming extremely scarce. Statistically proven there is only " 2.5 [percent] which is freshwater. Almost all of it is locked up in ice and in the ground. Only a bit more than 1.2 [percent] of all freshwater (which was only 2.5 [percent] of all water) is surface water, which serves most of life's needs (The World's Water). Water, on a daily basis, is wasted through many daily activities such as people utilizing water in their houses, at work and tremendously through gardening. People cannot live without water, but many do not understand how much water supply around the world is potable. Many countries around the world do not facilitate clean water, usually consisting of dirt and bacteria, which makes many people ill. The polluted water is usually in the rural and poor countries, that do not have enough money and technology to provide hygienic water. Contaminated water broadens the s...
Water is on of the most precious natural resources that exist on our planet. “It is delivered from the atmosphere in the form of rain, snow, hail, fog, and condensation and returns to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration” (Hannigan 1969). Although many of us love activities that have to do with water, we disregard it and pollute out rivers, lakes and oceans. Slowly but surely we are going to harm out planet till no return. Protecting and conserving nature will secure a better future. 71% of earth is covered with oceans. Sounds like a lot right? Imagine ...
Freshwater in the world makes up only a small portion of water on the planet. While the percentage of water in the world is nearly 70%, only 2.5% is consumable. Even further, only <1% is easily accessible to basic human needs. According to National Geographic, “by 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change.” With this current trend, water will become more immersed in environmental, economic, political, and social changes. Many of these in later years shall need to be addressed as tension rises:
The problem of water scarcity has increasingly spread throughout the world as of yet, The UN reports that within the next half- century up to 7 billion people in 60 countries which is more than the whole present population will face water scarcity (Sawin “Water Scarcity could Overwhelm the Next Generation”). As well the demand for freshwater has tripled over the past 50 years, and is continuing to rise as a result of population growth and economic development. 70% of this demand derives from agriculture which shows the influence of water on food supply globally as well not just drinking water (Sawin “Water Scarcity could overwhelm the Next Generation”). But increasing water use is not just a matter of the greater number of people needing it to drink and eat; it also comes from pollution and misuse of water supplies, by either dumping or runoff of bacteria or chemicals into water. This also “causes other pollutions as well such as soil and air pollution, accelerating wetland damage and human caused global warming” (Smith and Thomassey 25). According to UN report, recent estimates suggest that climate change will account for about 20 percent of the increase in global water scarcity in coming decades.
The waste water is represent of the major sources of pollution to water bodies after being discharged into rivers without proper treatment or partial treatment as it contains toxic organic substances that lead to a decline in natural water and disruption the balance of the environment ,that causes the occurrence of water pollution . Wastewater treatment processes rely on assimilation of microorganisms and enzymatic effectiveness in breakage chains carbon of soluble organic pollutants , as sewage water containing many of the compounds aliphatic ,aromatic , phenolic compounds and toluene .Which are toxic and carcinogenic compounds. (Luz and Yoav, 2008).
Freshwater is quite scarce, but it is even scarcer than one might think: about seventy percent of all freshwater is frozen in the icecaps of Antarctica and Greenland and is unavailable to humans. Most of the remainder is present as soil moisture or lies in deep underground aquifers as groundwater. It is not economically feasible to extract this waster for use as drinking water. This leaves less than one percent of the world’s fresh water that is available to humans. It includes the water found in lakes, reservoirs, groundwater that is shallow enough to be tapped at an affordable cost. These freshwater sources are the only sources that are frequently replenished by rain and snowfall, and therefore are renewable. At the current rates of consumption, however, this supply of fresh water will not last. Pollution and contamination of freshwater sources exacerbate the problem, further reducing the amount of freshwater available for human consumption. Something must be done if humans want to even survive in the near future: the lack of clean drinking water is already the number one cause of disease in the world today. The first step is worldwide awareness of the water crisis: governments and the citizens they govern worldwide need to know about this problem and be actively involved in solving this problem.
Water is the most priceless resource on our planet. Billions of gallons flow through our rivers and lakes. Millions of gallons are consumed by humans each day. Our world’s surface is seventy percent water. With so much water around us, how can 1.1 billion people still lack access to clean water (Cooper, Water Shortages)? People are already using fifty four percent of all the freshwater available on this planet (Cooper, Water Shortages). We cannot afford to neglect something so essential to our very survival. We must defend our most important natural resource—water.