Water As a Valuable Resource

Water is an essential ingredient for life and may be the most precious resource the earth has to offer humanity. Many believe, however, that this valuable commodity is in danger as a result of man-made pollution. Through disrespect, shortsightedness and neglect, the species may be compromising its own survival unless there is significant improvement in water quality and management. The purpose of this paper will be to discuss water and its pollution through the various contaminants found in domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. In addition, a review of the legal issues and current methods of water treatment and purification will be included.

All the fresh water in the world's lakes, creeks, streams and rivers equals less than .01 percent of the earth's total water supply (4:80). The system is continually replenished by rainfall and water vapor from the atmosphere in the form of rain or snow. Today, however, much of this water supply is contaminated on the way down to the ground by gases and particles that mankind introduces into the air (4:80).

Further, fresh water is constantly moving towards the ocean and in so doing picks up other particles and dissolved matter--organic and inorganic waste. Where the population density is low, the waste can be degraded by microbes through a process known as self-purification. However, where its density is high, large quantities of waste accumulate in bodies of water, including the ocean, and harming aquatic life. The wat

te water have been developed and implemented and for some cities, recycling this water has augmented limited fresh water supplies. Some of the major water quality success stories in America have come as a result of antipollution efforts in this area (2:35). Today, the most volatile of contaminants as a result of waste and pollution have been identified and the means of destroying them are being discovered. The most widespread group of pollutants are the chlorinated hydrocarbons, in particular TCE (trichlorethylene) and its degradation products (1). TCE is the major contaminant found in groundwater and is the chemical most often uncovered at Superfund sites where large quantities of it were widely used for decades in degreasing and the wastes were carelessly discarded (1). TCE's physical properties facilitate its widespread occurrence. It has a boiling point of 88 degrees centigrade and a density of about 1.46 (1). Further, it is very soluble. Thus, when contaminated fluids were transported to waste dumps, part of the TCE evaporated, but much remained, ultimately encountering groundwater. And, since groundwater in aquifers travels at rates as low as a meter per year and as high as meters per day, there was ample time in m

Category: Science - W