Megacity

New York City residents use on average 60-70 gallons of water per day per person according to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP). In 2016, NYC used 1,002 million gallons per day, that is roughly 12 million gallons a year. It goes without saying that New Yorkers use their water without worry and mindfulness. Very few of us know where we obtain our water source from. If more people were aware of how we obtain our water, we would be more open to conserving it instead of misusing it.

Water, is a very valuable and necessary resource that, must be managed more carefully. Quantity-wise it is endless; all around the world there are many bodies of water. Ground sources, such as aquifers, as well as surface water, including oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams. Because of its endlessness it becomes more difficult to manage it all. Clean water that is readily available, for developed and devolving nations alike, is a challenge. There are many factors that play into what can access water sources, and pollute it. Pollution of water is a worldwide problem that occurs too frequently. There are various contributors to water pollution including agriculture, industry, waste management, as well as naturally occurring

A nation with a lot to lose. The huge, industrial and overpopulated country we know as China, is going through a water scarcity crisis. North China’s lack of water affects more of the region than anyone can imagine. Causing negative problems for food supply, economic development, political stability, and international relations, including drying up their major rivers. What are creating these complications? Global Warming, Urbanization and Population Growth, and Industrialization are the three main causes of China’s water crisis. Of these, the biggest driver is Industrialization.

Water pollution has become a major problem in our water sources. People think that when they litter or dump in our waters that their little contribution will not hurt anything, but everyone’s little contributions add up to some major problems. Our water ecosystems and the species that reside in them are being destroyed and we need to take the steps necessary to stop this. Why would anyone use the source of most of the world’s food as a dumping ground for garbage? People need to start realizing what it is they are doing when they do not take the proper steps to dispose of their garbage and the problems they are making for the future.

Within the unprecedented challenges posed by the explosive growth of urban population, the lack of water supply and sanitation is one of the most urgent and harmful issues. The relationship between water supply and cities’ welfare is very important, as cities require a huge supply of fresh water, and in turn, the way in which the city makes use of water has an impact on the availability of fresh water. It is impossible to consider a city as being ‘sustainable’, if it cannot ensure safe access to drinking water and suitable sanitation to its habitants. (Naciones Unidas, 2010)

The NYC drinking water system is gravity driven and is sourced from 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes in a 1,972 sq mi watershed and has a storage capacity of roughly 580 billion gallons.[5] During drought water is exchanged from one water system to the other.

In our society we are encountering environmental issue with water pollution. The world development of modern agriculture and industry, water pollution has been a major problem.

Water pollution is when, “one or more substances have built up in the water to such an extent that they cause problems for animals and people” (Woodford). Water pollution is also bad for humans and animal’s health. Sewage, chemicals, radioactive waste, oil pollution, and plastic, are some causes for water pollution (Explain That Stuff). When water from rain runs off roofs and roads into rivers it carries away trash, toxic chemicals, dirt, and harmful organisms (NRDC Water). Some solutions to these are to throw things into the correct bin, use water wisely, and not throw chemicals, oil, paints, and medicine down the sink, drain, or toilet. Also plant lots of trees and have cities develop a sewage treatment plant to minimize pollution (eSchool Today). It’s important to protect our

New York uses 1.3 billion gallons of fresh water a day. The water comes from 125 miles away in Upstate New York through underground tunnels and aqueducts

The article "China's Poisonous Waterways" by Sheng Keyi is an article explaining how China's rivers are dead because they are being destroyed by factories who are polluting them. The cancer rates in China are rising, yet the citizens are continuing to drink, bathe, and gather food from the water. The paper I read written by a former student explains in more detail about Shen Keyi's story. She does a great job picking out important details about the article and showing how this problem can be related to her and her country of origin Kenya.

In this day and age, it is very common for things to be handed over without a struggle. With this, many necessities are taken for granted. New York is notorious for its cheap and amazing water quality. The NYC drinking water supply system is currently the largest high-quality unfiltered water supply in the United States. Although most people around the world, but more specifically in NYC have clean and unlimited access to water, this was not always the case. It took many years and extremely hard work for New York to have the clean running water it has today.

All around the world, countries are fighting to keep their drinking water clean. Whether it’s streams, rivers, or lakes, countries have taken great measures to maintain high quality drinking water for both human consumption and animal consumption. Countries must first understand the sources of the polltion, then determine the best methods to eliminate the pollution. Clean drinking water is a valuable resource and a the key to human survival. Plants and animals also depend on water for their growth, so all water must be kept clean. The major contributors to water pollution can be classified in three categories, industrial, agricultural and municipal.

China’s ability to deal with its limited water resources may perhaps be the greatest determining factor in the future prosperity of the nation as well as wellbeing of the Chinese people. Though not entirely without freshwater reserves, the sheer size of the nation’s population dictates that China has always failed to be a water abundant country. Recent decades’ rapid development, inefficient water usage, and pollution have birthed a severe and growing water crisis. As a key component of the government’s effort to refocus the economy on a more sustainable model of development, urbanization will only exacerbate this already severe water issue. In the coming years, China’s cities – the backbone of the recent phase of growth and prosperity – will grow by millions in population. It is crucial that this path to development is followed while ensuring the availability of safe, clean water to both urban and rural citizens.

The population on China is constantly increasing and it is increasing quickly. Because of the population increase there are more and more carbon emission, which is causing a lot of pollution in China. “While China’s economic boom has greatly accelerated the devastation of its land and resources, the roots of its environmental problem stretch back centuries” (Albert and Xu, 2016). China’s environment is becoming more and more polluted and it is also causing harm to the plants, animals and ecosystem there. China’s population began booming and has increased by about 10% every year for the last decade (Albert and Xu, 2016). While the population increases so does the industrialization of the country which in turn increases the carbon emissions and pollution. The water is also becoming increasingly

70 % of our Earth surface is covered by water and almost 60% of the human body contain water for nutrient transportation. The unique characteristic of water is water molecule is the only substance in this Earth that exist in all three physical states of matter which are solid, liquid and gas. All human beings need water to survive. The national development over the years cause the rate of water pollution increased. According to Gebre & Rooijen (2009) water pollution can be considered as a sign that derives from economic growth and is a common phenomenon in urbanized cities in developing countries. In general, there are three main issues that related to water pollution which are the causes, effects and the way to decrease this problem.