We don't think much about it other than that we expect it to flow from our taps on demand. We leave the it running when brushing our teeth, cleaning our cars and homes, and doing our laundry. We use potable treated water for flushing our toilets, or pouring into the ground for watering plants, and washing driveways.
While the world’s water is stuck on the planet with all of us, the all of us part of the equation is increasing. Furthermore, fresh potable water is getting harder to find. There’s plenty of water, but only if you like it filthy or salted.
Almost half the world's people face serious fresh water shortages, and of those that do get water, only half again have access to truly potable water that doesn't cause disease.
The forecasts for water availability are appalling, but the problem is complex with no easy answers. The lack of water is a bigger problem than global warming, terror attacks and new diseases combined.
There are many proposals to deal with existing and looming water shortages, but too many focus on mega-engineering projects like dams and pipelines, and less on rebuilding natural systems like forest watersheds and wetlands to conserve and provide water resources.
Pahang State in Malaysia had a Eureka moment when it realized it could sell water from forest watersheds to adjacent Selangor State for 70 Million Ringgit (P980Mln) annually, ten times more than the 7 million Ringgit (P98Mln) it earns from logging. Ergo, Pahang is exiting the logging business and entering the water business, selling water to Malaysia's most populous state.
Unfortunately, many Philippine forests have been stripped bare by loggers in cahoots with corrupt government officials, and the small patches that remain are barely adequate for watersheds.
Replanting may help, but forest watershed ecosystems are not just ipil-ipil trees planted by politicians seeking photo opportunities, but complex systems of trees, shrubs, vines, and ground crawlers that have developed over hundreds of years.
These spongelike ecosystems capture water from rain, from dew, and mountain streams gradually releasing water into the environment as clean rivers and underground water reservoirs.
Sadly, our depleted landscape merely funnels muddy rainwater into the valleys, occasionally triggering landslides that kill hundreds, on its way back to the sea.
A research analyst points out that as much as we complain about the high price of oil, the price of potable water has risen at a faster rate.
We used to be able to stick a pipe into the ground and expect potable water, if we couldn’t, there was always cheap, potable NAWASA (the state water utility) juice.
Those days are long gone.
Many subdivisions have to rely on expensive trucked in water, and when was the last time you believed you could safely drink water from the tap? Don’t forget to buy a gallon of filtered water on the way back, wil’ya?.
Checked your water bill lately? It’s now around P26/cubic meter for treated water. Analysts say this could easily double or triple over the next ten years.
As recently as ten years ago, it was six pesos per cubic meter, and tap water was potable. If gasoline changed as much, we’d be paying P52/liter for dirty gas.
If we instead compared the price of filtered water and gasoline increased as much, we'd be paying five hundred pesos a liter for gas.
The truth is that we cannot increase the supply of fresh water, which is why it’s getting more expensive.
There are more and more people, and people are moving into areas that used to be sustainable watersheds. The human imprint on the planet is getting much bigger than the ecosystem that supports us.
Most fresh water comes from rain, which rushes down denuded mountains on its way back to the sea to become undrinkable seawater. Desalination plants work, but they are expensive to run and leave behind mountains of salt.
The only thing we can change right now is how we use water. Conserve water, close the faucet while brushing your teeth, use a pail, not a hose, to wash your car.
We all know the drill.
These little measures help, but are sadly nowhere near enough. The
global fresh water situation is already too grave.
Agriculture is the biggest consumer of fresh water, accounting for 70%
of consumption, yet offers the greatest potential for conservation.
Techniques pioneered in the desert regions of the midwestern U.S., and
the middle east show water savings of as much as ten fold for every ton
of produce.
In Asia, flood irrigation is most common--and most wasteful. It is
essential for growing rice in the developing world, but less essential
for other crops. Overhead and drip irrigators help conserve water (and
expensive fertilizer) when growing vine, shrub, and tree crops.
Harnessing what would otherwise become floodwater is another plentiful
source of agricultural water.
Several countries saw the sense of that decades ago and combined the
agency handling flood control with the one handling irrigation. It’s
all about water management: Control the huge volumes of floodwaters
and divert them to storage areas for distribution to agricultural
lands.
Industry and residential uses account for 30% of water consumption, but
there is so much waste of treated potable water for uses that simply
don’t require it.
Water engineers classify water into three categories: Whitewater,
which is treated and generally potable; Graywater, which has some
impurities and therefore not potable, but which has not come into
contact with food scraps and toilet waste; and Blackwater, which is
wastewater containing toxic chemicals or toilet waste destined for
septic tanks and other treatment facilities.
Re-using graywater offers the greatest potential for conserving water
at the residential and industrial sectors.
Sources are plentiful, and the uses are many: Stored rainwater,
condensate from airconditioners, rinsewater from the washing machine,
used water from bathtubs and showers are all forms of graywater that
can be used for flushing toilets, cleaning cars and floors, and
watering lawns.
There is no sense in wasting potable whitewater for flushing toilets.
If you’ve ever stayed at the Excelsior in Hong Kong, you’ve seen
graywater at work. Toilets at the hotel, and many others in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East use graywater for flushing.
In California, “graywater” laws require buildings and apartment
complexes to install graywater plumbing for flushing toilets and
watering lawns. Countries in Europe, notably Germany, have similar
requirements.
Malaysia is currently debating laws requiring buildings and residential
apartments to catch and store rainwater for use in flushing toilets,
washing cars, and watering lawns. The laws limit use of treated pipe
water to drinking and personal hygiene.
Another plus is that with numerous rainwater catchments, there will be
less rainwater to drain away, alleviating city flooding.
We may not have these laws yet, but there is no reason why we can’t
build these systems into new homes or retrofit them into existing
homes.
Think of all the graywater sources in your home: Rainwater,
bathwater, airconditioners, and the washing machine. How much
additional plumbing would you need to store this water and divert it to
toilets and a faucet in the garage?
You may not even need plumbing: It could be as simple as placing your
washing machine near a frequently used toilet and diverting rinsewater
to the flush tank. Or placing it in the garage and draining rinsewater
into a bucket for washing the car or watering lawns. Or diverting the
drain hose from the airconditioner, or rainwater pipe, into a storage
pail or drum.
For more information on graywater and its uses visit this site. Waterwise promotes water conservation in the United Kingdom.
