Water: Not the Endless Resource We Once Thought

Water is life. It is what everyone needs to survive. We must, as a species, have access to drinkable water on a daily basis, otherwise we will all perish. A human being can only live without water for approximately 3 days, then the body begins to shut down(www.sciencedaily.com) Our fresh water supply is shrinking and we need to wake up to the fact that Americans are careless with their water. When people are dying of thirst in Africa, we water our lawns and swim in our pools. This is a serious issue for everyone on the planet. Water conservation should be at the top of our list in regards to overuse and unneeded abuse. Water is the fundamental element of survival; everything in our society depends on the ability to use water. Populations tend to cluster around sources of water. This can lead to further problems and concerns surrounding water usage and pollution. Agriculture thrives where water can be diverted from its natural channels to the surrounding area. By diverting too much water, we change ecosystems and disturb the balance of life on the planet.

We get most of our drinking water from groundwater. Groundwater can stay polluted for several thousand years, after contamination has occurred(U.N. Environment Program). This poses a huge problem since we have been steadily polluting the planet for over 100 years. Pollution coupled with extreme overuse is a major concern for the U.S. We just use too much water. The 250 million U.S. residents living today have access to about the same amount of water as U.S. residents did 200 years ago, when the population was four million(National Drinking Water Alliance). At this rate of consumption we will eventually run out of fresh drinking water. If present consumption patterns continue, two out of every three persons on Earth will live in water-stressed conditions by the year 2025. (United Nations Environment Program).
Water is a precious resource and even though you may live in a 'wet' climate it does not mean you should carelessly abuse the use of water. Conservation should be implemented across the world. Increasing populations play a huge role in the reduction of fresh water resources. Indigenous dry climate populations have learned to adapt to the lack of freshwater and these communities are excellent examples of proper water conservation. Even in the deserts of America we find groomed lawns; which use an enormous amount of water to maintain. What we need to do is live like water is a precious commodity.

Groundwater contamination is a huge issue for anyone living in agricultural or urban areas. The three primary origins of groundwater contamination are heavily populated urban areas, commercial/industrial factories, and agricultural activity. Urban living creates groundwater contamination primarily through the use of water as a medium for transporting sewage and waste. Machinery usage(cars, boats, aircraft) and household lawn wastes pollute by carrying pollutants through surface runoff.
Industrial operations create groundwater contamination through the discharge of wastes from industrial processes, harmful chemicals used during

manufacturing/production, and surface runoff pollution due to improper disposal of chemicals and wastes. This can be found near many factories and plants across the United States. Detroit, Michigan has many contaminated locations due to industrial plants(www.epa.gov/superfund/). GM Motors has an old factory located in Michigan that is on the Super Fund List for contaminated sites. When a ground location is contaminated the water is also contaminated. And, as mentioned earlier, it can remain polluted for thousands of years.

Taking steps to prevent contamination of our ground water and conserving the water we use are two steps that will make a huge difference in the future. We need to take steps to re-think our view of water as an endless resource. Reducing usage is step one. Limit shower times, buy low flush or compost toilets, don't wash your car(or if you have to- do it on the lawn), don't fix leaky fixtures; these are a few small steps one can take to reduce daily consumption. There are several sites were you can find recommendations for water conservation acts that everyone can do. Some excellent sources of information are: werf.org, wef.org, earth911.com.

There are several rivers in China that are now completely dry. Once they were teeming with and their ecosystems were in tact. This same phenomena can be found in the U.S., and Africa. By diverting water, we are changing the ecosystems in hundreds of places across the globe. Ecosystems play an important part in our global habitat. When we divert water from one place to another we run the risk of killing thousands of animals and plants. Changing the biological structure of an area to suit our urban needs is just another way we are polluting and altering the delicate systems on the planet.

The problem of water shortages and pollution is not limited to the United States. It can be found across the world, in many areas that we might think are full of water. China is suffering from the same issues as that of the U.S. Water shortages occurring all across the world and in areas that were once thought to be lush and green. China's rivers are dry and their lakes are being contaminated by intense industrial pollution. Water contamination, over usage, and changing weather patterns will eventually lead many parts of the world into severe drought and without adequate groundwater the people living in these areas will be forced to relocate.
Taking steps now can ensure that our children have a healthier future. Everyone needs to rethink our social need for green lawns and pristinely clean vehicles. The average American household uses 69 gallons of water per day(wwwdrinktap.org). In some countries, this is more than some people use in a month. The average for entire U.S. consumption is in the billions annually and with population increases it will surely rise. To remedy this problem we all must conserve water and reuse as much as we can for practical purposes. Much of the city water in suburbs is processed drinking water and it is being used to water lawns and gardens. When a simply installed water catch system could be installed to water the landscape thereby conserving the drinkable water for better purposes.

The water shortage issue is and will continue to affect the population is a number of different ways. Continually, power plants are being denied and told to reduce their water usage. This will eventually lead to power shortages and urban areas will suffer the most from this problem. States and countries are beginning to realize that water is a scarce thing and it is something that must be coveted. If we are to ensure water and energy security, we must begin to drastically change they way we operate as a whole inter-connected society. Learning to use alternative energy sources and recycling water systems are important tools that we should be accessing and developing.
According to the New Scientist, "Some of these predicted changes are already happening. A second study shows temperature changes have affected the flow in many of the world's 200 largest rivers over the past century, with the flow of Africa's rivers declining over the past 10 years.". This is significant to everyone and awareness of these subtle influences of climate changes will be an important factor in the future of our country and of the world. "Water stresses will increase significantly in regions that are already relatively dry," Manabe reports in the journal Climate Change (vol 64, p 59). Manabe predicts a 47 per cent increase in the flow of the Yukon river in Canada. This is significant because it will rise rivers in some places and lower them in others. Some areas will become dryer and others wetter.

Fossil water is ground water that has remained in deep underground aquifers. This water is trapped inside 'pockets' and is cut off from the 'recharging process. Several places were people heavily rely of this type of water supply are in the U.S., China, and Libya. This fossil water is not replenishing and it will eventually run out completely. There are already signs that this is occurring in China and in the U.S.(New York Times). Diverting water from wetter locations to more heavily populated urban areas is not the answer. This will only solve the problem temporarily. The bigger issue is over usage and over consumption by most of the world.

In order to preserve our planet, we need to be more aware of what we are doing to this planet. Changing our behavioral habits and usage amounts will slow this process. It has been determined that groundwater is not unending and that if we do not do something today, we may not have any drinkable water tomorrow. By conserving our usage, restricting factories from contaminating water supplies, and more awareness in general we can make a huge impact upon our environment in a positive way. To change our current ways of thinking, we can make a valiant attempt to undo some of the damage we have inflicted upon the earth and it's resources.

Learn today how you can better lie within our ecosystem in a positive and less harmful way. Water is a resource we can not live without. We should remember this the next time we decide to wash our car or water the lawn.

Works Cited

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/12/021223084743.htm

National Drinking Alliance

Broydo, Leora. "The Great Xeriscape". Mother Jones, May/June 1997, p. 21

N.M. Water Resources Research Institute. Common Needs, Common Waters.
Las Cruces, 1990. (Video)

http://www.epa.gov/superfund/

United Nations Environment Program.

Manabe. Climate Change (vol 64, p 59).

http://www.newscientist.com/article/