The Health Of Clean Water

Water contamination is vastly becoming an alarming issue across the world. We rely on clean water to survive, yet right now we are heading towards a water crisis. Changing climate patterns are threatening lakes and rivers, and key sources that we tap for drinking water are being overdrawn or tainted with pollution (www.nrdc.org). Clean and plentiful water is the cornerstone of prosperous communities. Yet as we enter the 21st century, swelling demand and changing climate patterns are

In the fourth chapter, “Fouling Our Own Nests,” of Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What to do About It, Robert Glennon discusses the dangers of water contamination that plague many parts of the United States. His main claim that water pollution requires the help of the entire population stems from an unmentioned warrant: contaminating the national water supply with chemicals from individual communities and industries is detrimental to American society. In order to strengthen his argument, Glennon showcases the impacts of local contamination issues on larger populations and utilizes quantitatively intimidating statistics to solidify his position and inspire his readers to fight for better water regulation.

There is a water crisis which faces many parts of the world and it is a threat to survival of human beings since humans are primarily dependent on water. Shortage in drinking water is beginning to show its effects in first world countries, but is a current major problem facing lesser developed countries which have not taken drastic steps to harvest water and purify it to make it safe for human consumption. In developed countries the population growth has strained available water resources and stretched the ability of governments and private firms to provide safe drinking water to the vast majority of the population. Seventy one percent of

The Midwestern region of the United States, such a small corner of the world, is notorious for its prosperous agriculture and its abundant livestock population. Citizens of the Midwest, and consequently, the United States, rarely have to worry about where meals will come from or when the next time water will be available. Water fountains are a common sight within public places, specifically schools and workplaces, and each system reliably produces water at the touch of a button, every time, without fail. However, what happens when the dependability of water in the Midwest is compromised? Over the past decade, the water quality in Flint, Michigan, a town very close to Iowan homes, has seen a rapid decadence, given that the Flint River has been exposed to “the presence of fecal coliform bacteria, low dissolved oxygen, plant nutrients, oils, and other toxic substances,” though the main focus has

Everyday, billions of people use water all over the world. They use water in drinks and food. They use water for bathing and hygiene. They use water in agriculture and industry. They use water for so many things. However, there are many problems with the usage of water around the world. In his editorial, “Our Water System: What a Waste”, Michael E. Webber explains how America has a water problem, and how that problem can be solved.

Globally, over seven hundred and eighty-three million people do not have access to clean water (The Water Project, 2016). Millions of people have to struggle endlessly to fill up pails of water for themselves and their families; however, this does not happen in America. Water contamination and access, or lack thereof, is a third world issue. The United States is a global empire, wealthy, and the land of opportunity; Flint, Michigan became a local cesspool, impoverished, and without basic drinking water. The visual of desolate villagers walking miles for water is not the universal or unique image anymore. The ordinary town of Flint became a national icon for water scarcity and paranoia. Water contamination, disease outbreak and widespread panic

The way Americans use water all depends on the location and how much water is readily available. California, a dry state with scarce water supply, versus Florida, a tropical state with more water resources, have very different ways of using water throughout the day. For example, Coastal southern California has cutting-edge water usage policies, including mandatory low-flow toilets and strict lawn watering laws (Pickert, 19). Compared to Florida, which has an adequate water supply, Floridians still use more water than what is available, and have very little water usage policies to resolve this issue (Behn, 45). Although there are many issues concerning water usage in Florida and California, there are many ways in which they can be resolved,

Most people that live in a america receive their tap water from community water systems, which are often regulated by both the federal Environmental Protection Agency and local and state authorities. Despite the fact that the United States has one of the largest and safest supplies of water in the world, community water sources

At the beginning of 21st century, droughts and contamination of water around the world were having a huge impact on the quality of life, a decrease of crop production, decrease in drinkable water, and the economy as a whole. In Flint, Michigan, the corrosion of water pipes (resulting from a switch in the water supply) lead to a contamination of the water. Lead seeped into the water, then E. Coli was found, and later on, Flint’s water failed to pass the standards set by the Safe Drinking Water Act when byproducts of chemical purifiers were found. Flint still does not have full access to clean drinking water (Kennedy, 2016). At times like these, people need a way to cheaply purify and, sometimes, desalinate water so they can survive. For most

Collectively the United States is ranked as the greatest consumers of water worldwide; a startling fact for a country that cannot support its own unrivaled demands (Barlow, 2007). The United States is now crucially dependent on nonrenewable groundwater for a staggering 50% of its daily water usage (Barlow, 2007). In addition to such formidable numbers, citizens of the United States use and waste up 80-100 gallons or 454 liters of water per day (Perlman, 2009). The United States simply doesn’t possess enough fresh water or renewable sources of water to keep up with its gross demands. Nearly 40% of U.S waters are deemed unsafe for recreational activities such as fishing and even swimming

In the United States, the government spends more on clean water initiative than on cleaning the water. According to the government, it is easier and less expensive to advocate the prevention of water pollution than to actually clean the water (“Water Purification”). The bacteria and other microorganisms that get in the

In this country, we have 4.5 percent of the world’s population yet almost 8 percent of its freshwater resources. It is home to the largest freshwater lake system in the world, the Great Lakes, which holds 6 quadrillion gallons of water(Grace,2017). These water supply isn’t endless, but it often is not found where it is needed, when it is needed, or in a useable form. We use nearly twice as much as the world’s

Since the concentration of drugs is greatly reduced when found in rivers and lakes, the greater concern is the different drugs cross contaminating each other and creating detrimental effects exceedingly worse than if they had not been exposed together. The pharmaceuticals are altering the marine life such as when male fish in the Potomac River were found to be hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reproductive organs. Male fish are also producing

E.coli 0157:H7 is known as a fecal coliform (a type of bacteria associated with human or animal wastes and lives in human or animal intestinal tracts) serotype of the bacterium E.coli which is known to cause illness through consumption of foods and water consisting of this strain. When strains of E.coli 0157:H7 are found to be present in water samples, it may be an indication that there is a recent contamination by human and animal wastes. These strains of E.coli 0157:H7 enter the water streams, rivers etc. by being washed into rivers, lakes or ground water during rainfall, snow melts or other kind of precipitation. The usage of this contaminated water with no or inadequate treatment as domestic drinking water is how these E.coli 0157:H7 strains end up in the human or animal body. Once these strains enter the body, they will release a powerful toxins and infection by these strains causes severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps and frequently no fever is experienced(Wiley et al, 2011: 230-251).

Access to clean water is a basic human right and yet people around the world don’t have that right and they struggle to survive without it. The many uses of clean and potable water include water for drinking to cooking other daily purpose. It is reported that over 1.1 billion people lack access to an improved water resource and three million individuals, and majority of them children, suffer and die from water-related disease. The need to improve water quality and providing clean water should be major project for developed countries like the US and so called “well developed countries”.