Problems with Water Quality
Scarcity of Safe Drinking Water
The next time you get water from your faucet, imagine life in a country that cannot afford
the technology to treat and purify water. What would it be like if your only water came from
a polluted river where sewage was dumped? Your only choice would be to drink polluted
water. One fifth of all people in the world, more than 1.1 billion people, do not have access
to safe water for drinking, personal cleanliness and domestic use. Unsafe drinking water can
carry many disease-causing agents, such as infectious bacteria, toxic chemicals, radiological
hazards, and parasites.
One of the leading causes of death worldwide is waterborne disease, disease caused by unsafe
drinking water. It is also the leading cause of death for children under the age of five. Many
children die when they only have unsafe drinking water and lack of clean water for personal
hygiene. About eighty-eight percent of all diseases are caused by drinking unsafe water. At
any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a
waterborne disease. The water you get from a faucet is safe because it has gone through a
series of treatment and purification processes to remove contaminants.
Economic Considerations
A glass of water may be free in a restaurant, but this does not reflect its value as a resource.
Water is often regarded as more valuable than gold, because human survival depends on
having steady access to it.
Water scarcity can have dire consequences for the people, the economy and the environment.
Without adequate water:
- Crops and livestock dwindle and people go hungry.
- Industrial, construction and economic development is halted.
- The risk of regional conflicts over scarce water resources rises.
- Ultimately some people die from lack of water.
Finding safe drinking water poses further challenges. What does it take for a country to
provide its people with access to safe drinking water? It takes sophisticated technology to
purify water, which removes harmful substances andpathogens,disease-causing organisms.
Most developing countries lack the finances and the technology needed to supply their people
with purified drinking water.
Water resources are so valuable, that wars have been fought over water rights throughout
history. In many cases, water disputes add to tensions between countries where differing
national interests and withdrawal rights have been in conflict (Figure21.15).