Water: An Introduction
The most necessary thing for humans to live a peaceful life is said to be the availability of food, shelter, and clothes. Along with this, another thing without which humans cannot live a single day is water. Water has been considered the most imperative thing for all living things on earth. Water has the ability to grow plants, prevent drought in fields, give life to marine mammals and also hydrate humans.
Every other thing in this world has a substantial amount of water in its body. In order to spread awareness about water, Sir C.V. Raman, an Indian scientist, wrote an essay named, “Water: The Elixir of Life”. In this essay, he wrote that the true elixir of life is nothing but water. We forget how water is the most wonderful thing on earth and how we take it for granted.
Fresh Water Freshens Up the Eventful Journey
In this essay on water freshens up the eventful journry, Sir C.V.Raman wrote how when he was standing between the Libyan desert and the valley of Nile, on one side, he saw a place full of sand without a single tree and vegetation, and on the other side, he saw a vast population with all the resources surrounding a place. That place was nothing but the Nile river. He then realised how a current of water can give life to a place that surrounds it.
We, sometimes, forget how water is the most potent thing in our lives and how it should be treated as the most sacred thing on earth. Water also enhances the beauty of small villages and towns.
The countryside water is so breathtaking that we do nothing but be mesmerised by its beauty. Watching the sunset from the horizon, while it reflects on the vast ocean water is cherry on the top. by this, one can understand how water is not only essential for all living things but also for mother earth.
Water Too Little To Waste
We, as working homo sapiens, are so immersed in our daily life that we forget how little fresh water is available near us. It is said that every month, over 1,000 gallons of water is wasted due to the leakage and drainage of water in several houses. Some of the residents still don’t have access to clean water and some days, they are left with no water at all.
Most of the Earth's water is used in building construction, hotels, hospitals, and water parks etc. only 1% of it is cleaned and the rest is dumped back as it is. Hence, it is important for us to know the ways to conserve water and realise its value. If we start saving water, for now, it is assured that our future generations can live in peace without worrying about the scarcity of water.
Waste Water Story
Over 99% of water is the composition of wastewater. The main source of wastewater is said to be through Domestic, industrial and agricultural sectors. Most of them are from sewage systems, and domestic wastewater like toilets, laundry, washrooms etc. Industrial wastewater is the most hazardous one as it contains harmful chemicals. And it is the most difficult to treat.
Agricultural wastewater includes fertilizer waste, pesticides waste and animal wastes. Most of the wastewater, which is not treated, is sent back to the water bodies like oceans, lakes, and rivers.
This causes harm not only to the fish but also to the people residing across the banks of rivers and lakes, as wastewater can create an overwhelming amount of carbon-di-oxide, and hydrogen sulphide, making the water go septic. This can lead to marking the water-surrounded area,” dead zone”.
Waste Water Treatment
There are several ways to treat wastewater and make it usable in the future. Some of the treatment methods are:
Primary Treatment: This is one of the treatment methods where water is held in a tank, solid sinks to the bottom and lighter particles float to the surface. After this stage, the materials are trapped while the remaining water is discharged.
Secondary Treatment: This method requires three stages of treatment to thoroughly clean the water. Biofiltration (usage of sand filters to remove any sediments), Aeration (increases oxygen saturation), and Oxidation ponds ( allowing the wastewater to pass through water bodies and retain it after some time)
Tertiary Treatment: This method is also known as the disinfection method where any bacteria or pathogens are removed from the water to make it drinkable.
Conclusion
Hence, from this article, we can learn to utilize and save one of the most precious minerals available on Earth. The scarcity of water around the globe has taught us many things but the most important lesson we learned is the value of it.
Interesting Facts
Nearly 97% of the water on Earth is salty.
The earth’s temperature is regulated by water
Human brain is made up of 75% of water
When freezed, water expands by 9%
Key Features
Water is an essential part of life.
There are over 1000 gallons of wastewater every month.
Polar Regions are melting rigorously due to climate change.
Water makes our Earth more beautiful.
FAQs on Water, The Elixir of Life
1. What is the treatment of wastewater?
The chemical that is most often used to treat sewage and other waste water is chemical chlorine. This is termed as chlorination. This is said to be the most effective way to treat wastewater. Other treatments include bar screening, screening, aeration, water analysis and testing etc. We must know some ways to treat water although it may not appear as a threat at the beginning, but as the time goes on, water pollution cannot be avoided.
2. How are chemicals removed from water?
Wastewater can contain certain chemicals that are dangerous for all the living things. Hence, they need to be cleaned thoroughly. chemicals from wastewater are removed through ultrafiltration. During this process, the water passes through the pores that trap the dust, chemicals and other particles from the water. Parasites like bacteria and viruses are also trapped in the pores. Some filters like activated carbon filters also remove bad odour from the water. This may take time as filtering water full of unwanted compounds is not an easy task.
3. Why is wastewater a problem?
Living with substances that may cause serious concerns of health issues is never a good thing. Around 80% of wastewater is not treated and released in the ecosystem just as it is. Over 1.8 billion of people use water that is contaminated with feces, risking their health with cholera, typhoid, bacteria etc. As the quantity of wastewater increases, the supply for fresh water decreases. This may cause rapid demand for fresh water across the cities, or even in villages for agriculture.
