In Honor of World Water Day!

Happy World Water Day!! I know I love water, so as some take the time to cherish their loved ones on Valentine’s Day, why not take World Water Day to cherish and appreciate our freshwater?! I challenge you to use significantly less water on March 22, than you use on a regular basis. Some examples include: turning off the water while you brush your teeth or wash your face; taking a two minute shower; making sure the washing machine is full before doing a partial load; collecting the water in the sink to soak other dishes while washing dishes; and so much more!

All living beings require water for survival, but not just any kind of water, safe water. It is very important that we conserve and protect our freshwater, so we should not be wasting water and we should not contaminate this necessity either. As the United Nations says, “water is a precondition for human existence and for the sustainability of the planet.” This quote could not be any more true because without safe drinking water we nor other living beings would not be here today.

The United Nations has a lot of information about water quality and wastewater. First off, the environment is suffering due to the increase in population. Coming with this suffering is the challenge of providing safe drinking water to everyone. The UN believes, as do I, that the first step toward a solution is to pollute less and manage wastewater better.

We all know it can be hard to pollute less because we have become accustomed to certain habits. Not only that, but it is hard to believe that one person can make a difference. However, this is true because it can become a chain reaction.

Let’s test your knowledge on wastewater and what we can do as a community to protect our safe waters. Hint: use the “water quality and wastewater” link above for help (if you need it):

1. 1) What are the steps in the water cycle and what could happen if the cycle is broken?
2. 2) True or False: The population growth leads to an increased generation of wastewater and in turn increased global pollution load.
3. 3) How much wastewater is discharged to the ecosystem without being treated beforehand?
4. 4) True or False: Discharging wastewater or toxic chemicals into a city drain or informal drain channel is okay because it will become safe along the way to its destination.
5. 5) What aspects in agriculture are adding to the potential cause of environmental pollution?
6.  

7. Take a look at another one of our blog posts on the safety of drinking water and the potential contamination of pesticides!

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Answers to the above questions:

1. 1) The steps to the water cycle are abstraction, pretreatment, distribution, use, collection/post-treatment, use of treated water, return to environment, and repeat. If any step after the abstraction is missed, that could cause potentially contaminated wastewater to enter the environment and negatively affect everyone!
2. 2) True
3. 3) 80%
4. 4) False: Discharging wastewater or toxic chemicals into a city drain or informal drain channel is NOT okay because it will NOT become safe along the way to its destination.
5. 22%
6. 5) Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are aspects of agriculture that can cause environmental pollution.
7.