You know how I hate folks who tell me what they think is important and then do the opposite. (You know- Congress saying the issue is Jobs, Jobs, Jobs- and then vote on Obamacare more than 40 times; clients saying their bottom line is important- but don’t have any key performance indicators that can let them know if they are even making a profit…) Or, the World Economic Forum (Davos, Switzerland, 2013) declaring that water risk is one of the four most important issues affecting businesses for this century.
Of course, water IS important. I’ve written about the scarcity of water many times. I’ve written about flood damage a few times. But, 20% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) is produced in places of severe water shortage- and there are those who fear it could reach 45% within 4 decades, if major changes in water management do not take place.
So, what do we do? We construct ethanol plants to produce fuel in regions that lack sufficient water already. Or, effect fracking (hydraulic fracturing) to obtain natural gas or snare shale oil in water short areas. (Yes, they often truck in water to these regions). All without considering better (or even any) processes for water reuse and recycle.
There are some exceptions- but how much of a change they will force is unknown. McDonalds wants their primary suppliers (about 300 to 400 vendors) to detail water efficiency and water stewardship. H&M (clothing vendor) wants their subcontractors in Bangladesh (what, you are surprised?) and China to consider the effect of their fabric mills on water quality. (Not for the publicity, but because it affects the quality of the produced materials.) The #2 beer vendor in the world hopes to reduce its water use by some 25% within three or four years. (This project began 5 years ago.)
But, there are plenty of industries and companies that should have such integrated thinking. Starting with the fact that water recycle cuts their reliance on governmental suppliers, local conditions, and even can save money (due to the recovery of various materials from the waste stream).
Water reuse and recycle were big issues in the 70’s and 80’s. The World Health Organization developed reuse standards back then. (This predates the use of the internet: Health guidelines for the use of wastewater in agriculture and aquaculture, WHO Technical Report Series 778, WHO 1989.} So did California. Florida did so in the 2002. Recently, Virginia – with water shortages clearly evident in the Tidewater region (yes, the tide-water region), among other portions of the Commonwealth- has its own standards.
The time is now- before it’s a crisis.
(Of course, we stand ready to help those industries or agricultural entities who want to determine what should be done. We’ve [ok, including the efforts of our predecessor firm] been doing that for almost four decades now.)
A very worthwhile cause to champion but one that does not get enough press unless it is the president of Nestles trying to get everyone to pay for drinking water. That of course profit driven regardless of the health conditions where there is not enough clean water for the people living there.
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Yes, William, that is a problem. And, there are significant changes afoot in the water business- which will let local entities sell bottled water that has been disinfected cheaply- it may not remove pollutants (but many of them are basically ok), but there are microbial issues that this will eradicate.
This is such an important subject. It wasn’t until we moved to Texas that I ever heard of water problems. And I know that we are even blessed here in Texas then other parts of the world. Enjoyed your blog today.
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Ah, yes, Shawn. Texas- and most of the Southwest have significant water problems. But, we (the citizens) make believe it is not an issue- until it is a disaster!
This is a topic the needs more coverage – thank you for writing about it. I live in the high desert area and we don’t get city water. The majority of the properties have wells and many have water trucked in. As of late, the wells have been dropping and the gauges indicate a drop in output for a lot of our neighbors. We are lucky to have our well tapped into a very large underground aquifer and so far, we are not having any water issues at our house. There’s no guarantee that will last and no way to predict it as they have thus far been unable to identify the source of the water. It’s scary and we are doing what we can to cut down on our water usage. We even recycle water whenever possible. Of course that poses some problems too as we live near a small private airport and who knows what it is in the air from the planes flying nearby. Not exactly a good idea to use recycled water or grey water on the organic garden.
What’s an individual to do?
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The corollary is when the well levels drop, the quality does as well.
We really need to begin recycling our water for just that reason. There is no reason to use high quality water to water our lawns and gardens. There is no reason to use the same quality water for our commodes. There is every reason to provide the highest quality water for drinking and food preparation.
That’s the sort of cascade that needs development (i.e, implementation- we already know how to do this!)
Hmmm… so what will they be making beer out of? Ok, ok… I assume you mean processing aspects. Always great when corporations can raise awareness of critical issues.
Alessa, I am sure that is an issue somewhere! But, that is among the lesser issues 🙂
This is an issue for governments to make its constituents aware!
Water is sometimes called the blue gold. We are used to take it for granted but it only takes a water cut to remind us how precious it is. As for the solution, well, I don’t know. If we all try to use it better it certainly will be a huge step forward.
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Water is ubiquitous. Drinking water is not. Agricultural water is not. We need to preserve, protect, and properly utilize our freshwater; using sea water and desalinating it is still very expensive- and certainly a power demand. (That is why we use the term water-energy nexus; they are closely related.)
Thanks for the visit!
Saturday, I attended an “open house” meeting on our community’s flood recovery (Tropical Storm Lee, 2011) and ideas that will be presented (from brainstorming sessions I was unable to attend). I was aware that an employer of some 1300, a few blocks from me, had left after our flood. What I found out on Saturday is that, because of them leaving (along with over 100 families in our neighborhood whose houses were destroyed in the flood) our water table is rising – and some of us may start having problems with basements flooding where no problem existed before. Meantime, where that employer moved to? They had flash flooding this September!
Flash floods are another issue- because they often bring silt, pollutants, and microbes to other surface waters, rendering them lesser quality than before. Thanks for reminding us, Ms. A.
In the early 2000s I did a study of El Salvador where children die by the uninumerables because of water. What I read was that the water was dead. This is not going to be an emergency, it has been for a very long time.
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Great addition, Ann!
And, yes, it is not an emergency, but I’ll bet that our governments will do nothing unless and until it is one!
I was surprised to see McDonald’s on the do-good list of companies, hopefully others will follow regarding these important water use practices.
I was surprised, as well, Suerae. But, McDonald’s is trying to insure that they have a long future!
Thank you for posting this. It is imperative that everyone, not only companies start doing something about water conservation. I got the water bug this year and am now in the process of a startup rainwater harvesting and water conservation business. The time is now before we run out of water to educate people and help them find the best water conservation methods for both residential and business so that we have water for our future generations.
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We need to develop cascading use programs, to insure that we keep our best quality water for drinking- and then choose the appropriate water quality for each use.
The last “virgin” waster existed when Adam and Eve walked this earth…
As one who had my well water quality compromised by a Mennonite farmer just up stream ( I was fortunate to be able to deal with this by adding a water filtration system – costly but less so than digging a new well), I was amazed at the shell game that occurred with this incident. The church is powerful and agencies are reticent to take action against members. This isn’t just something that can be addressed at the state, national or global level. Some of the most critical decisions go down to the local level.
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It takes all levels, Nanette. But, i will venture that it would be much harder with a powerful local entity for the local group to take hold.
I’m glad the water filtration system solved your problem, though.
Very clearly explained. Love the direct references. We now have water meters in every home in Toronto. If you hose down your driveway, you are going to pay for it yourself.
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That’s a great point, Carol. It took New York City more than a few centuries to meter the water- and it wasn’t for the revenue, it was for awareness.
Where I live, the water is dirt cheap- it’s the discharge that makes one cringe at the bills. So, saving water is key. (One gets no credit for reuse with this system, since the “powers that be” cling to the concept that everything that comes in goes out. (Which makes them TONS of money in the summer, when folks water their gardens and lawns copiously.)