A Students Guide to Water

Water is the most valuable substance on Earth, even though it makes up 71 percent of the Earth’s surface. Water serves two purposes in our everyday lives: we use it for bathing and for consumption. It is also an easily contaminated liquid, and since less than one percent of our water supply is usable for these purposes, it becomes even more valuable.

The same amount of water exists on the Earth now as when it was created, meaning that water doesn’t ever disappear regardless of the conditions placed upon it. That said, the amount of usable water can easily shrink if we are not careful, and this becomes a big issue when you consider that over 99 percent of the world’s water is currently unusable for our needs.

There are many important issues at play when it comes to water, including water quality, stormwater and water conservation. Here is an overview of several issues that affect the water we bathe in and drink.

• Water Quality—Anytime you bathe or swim in water outside of your home and/or pool, you are subject to the effects of water quality. While your bathtub is piping in potable water from a treatment plant and pools are usually chlorinated for your safety, natural bodies of water such as oceans, rivers and lakes are influenced by the environment around them. Things like boat exhaust, an oil spill or stormwater runoff in the water you swim in can affect your health and safety. Earth 911’s sister site Beaches 911 provides updates on beach water quality so you can know before you go.
• Stormwater—There is an old adage that “it all ends up in the water,” which is the simplest way to explain stormwater effects. Our streets have drains to prevent flooding, and anything that goes down these drains will eventually end up in a natural body of water without treatment. Not only that, but every time it rains everything will be washed down these drains as well. That includes motor oil from cars, paint from street markings, pet waste and any hazardous chemicals that aren’t properly disposed of. Consider this: one gallon of improperly disposed oil can contaminate one million gallons of water.
• Water Conservation—Water conservation comes in two forms: 1) reducing the amount of water we use, and 2) preventing the contamination of our current water supply. There are simple things you can do around the house to save water. For example, you can waste 15 gallons of water by leaving the tap running while you brush your teeth. Because much of our water comes from natural sources such as rivers, it is also important not to contaminate these sources with substances like oil, litter, cigarette butts and pet waste. We also need to be careful about what gets flushed down our toilets. Household hazardous waste (HHW), including unused medications and oil, should never be dumped into toilets or drains.