Water pollution- a key to wastewater management - Essay Example

Water Pollution- A key to wastewater management Introduction Water can be referred as the lifebloodof socio-economic development of a nation. In recent years, climate change has displaced other environmental issues to become the world's number one problem. But the alarming water scarcity is an issue as important and even more immediate threat. The Earth, with its abundant and diverse life forms, including more than six billion human beings, at the 21st century is confronting a severe water crisis. A decade ago it was announced that by 2025 one third of the world population suffer this shortage, but that threshold has already been reached. Two billion people suffer from this problem and by 2025, that calculation could be double (more than four billion, taking into account the increase of the world population), unless there are changes in the trends of today. Demand for water is increasing rapidly, but its supply is limited, decreases and is affected by the deterioration of watersheds due to deforestation and erosion (Johnson, Revenga and Echeverria 1071). The underground fluid extraction has caused declines in groundwater levels in India, China, Russia, the United States and Western Asia. The global population explosion, breathless advancement on the scientific front, the surge in standard of living of man, and his ingenuity in abusing scientific knowledge, all have placed accumulative demands on natural resources of water. Overlying on this is the water pollution problem which deeply affects the utility of available supplies (Stander 774). The water supply specifically comprises of that found in lakes, underground reservoirs, along with that is brought from afar by pipelines and canals. Some of it evaporates, some is utilized for farming and some passes to the ground. The remainder referred as run-off is liberated into surface streams and runs into the ocean. As suggested by Packman, “Of the 30 inches of average annual precipitation in the United States, about 8.5 inches, or 1.2 trillion gallons a day, is run-off”. This research attempts to explore the answers to the question that is since water scarcity is growing day by day, being an important cause of the issue, can improvement in wastewater management help in solving the problem? The main argument for the research could be that the waste water management can be improved while the other side focuses on the increasing industrialization which hinders the efficiency of wastewater management. So in order to investigate the answer to my research question, various sources are rhetorically analyzed and various views on the topic are generated. “Global Water Shortage: Will the Earth run out of fresh water?” This is a research paper written by Mary H. Cooper and serves as a comprehensive source for acknowledging the issue of water shortage worldwide. The article introduces the topic as a controversy that revolves around the most essential commodity for life i.e. water. The author thoroughly analyzed the issue and proposed that there are several causes of water shortage, including the population growth, mismanagement of water resources as well as pollution. The author persuasively conveys that the in order to address the water shortage issue, there are less number of pragmatic technological solutions are available. So the ways suggested by the author to cut down demand include the conservation measures and letting consumers pay off the actual cost of the water utilized by them. According to author, water mismanagement has turned a large proportion of the fresh water of the world into a leading infectious disease source. And the sewage and the waste water treatment are referred as the main culprit. Although the source does not provide a single solution, but the pros and cons of the water management are provided (Cooper). “Water for the Future” This topic refers to a report by M. Packman. In the given report, the author had explored the various water resources available to the world along with the issue of water shortage. The author has tried to explore the causes of the water scarcity issue. While proposing the possible solutions, the author determines that the reutilization of wasted water might be referred as a source of water conservation efforts. The author persuasively conveys that the poor quality water may be used by the industry. Moreover it has been suggested by the author that installation of wastewater management plants are few but are increasing to abate water wastage by pollution. The author has not confined the research to a single solution but has provided an array of solutions that can be utilized to address the problem (Packman 440). “Water Pollution” This topic refers to the work of Helen B. Shaffer. In the given report, Shaffer has placed the focus on the rising problem of water pollution, being referred as a source of much water wastage. It has critically analyzed the issue and provides the possible causes and solutions to the problem. The author being well verse with the issue conveys that the increase has been caused by inadequate antipollution safeguards. The author has argument that the rise in waste water is due to the shortage of waste water treatment as well as the rapidly increasing industrialization. The author has been persuasive in communicating that wastewater management is essential by providing an array of reasons like the industrial waste results in a health menace and various other harms. The author emphasizes that with the increase in development of awareness among industries, a collaborative effort from the whole industrial sector has been shown to curb the issue of water pollution and treatment of wasted water before drainage. To explain this, the author has given the example of chemical industry that not only leads others in polluting water but also in treating that wasted water. Moreover with the ever changing nature of business operations, more advanced wastes may develop and thus the programs to treat such developed harmful by products needs continuous research. This research articulates the relationship between industry and waste water treatment by the fact that the industrial demand of water is huge and with the increasing water scarcity, industrial processing may be hindered. The argument provided in the study is backed by facts and answers the framed research question of increasing need of wastewater treatment (Shaffer 498). “Managing Water for People and Nature” The mentioned topic refers to the peer reviewed journal article by Nels Johnson, Carmen Revenga and Jaime Echeverria. Being another informative source on the issue, the authors have attempted to address the issue on the grounds of the major victims. In this study, authors have provided a brief analysis of the water scarcity problem and then provided the possible water management strategies. They’ve addressed the issue besides our concerned technique. The strategies proposed include that the water pricing should comprise of supplying as well as distributing water, adding the price of watershed management in the water cost and charging the industries on their effluents. None of the ways suggested were based on waste water management instead all of them ensure water management by increasing its price. Besides these arguments, the authors have emphasized advanced research to be done on conserving water especially on river basins that are water-stressed (Johnson, Revenga and Echeverria 1071-72). “Water Pollution Research: A key to wastewater management” The above topic refers to a peer reviewed journal article written by G. J. Stander. Providing a convincing source of need of wastewater management to solve the global water shortage problem, the author has regarded water management to be as essential national issue as the national security, exploiting the power of atomic energy and the conquering of space. Quoting the necessity of water, the author has referred it as the lifeblood of man. Basic aim of referring the water management importance to that of national security is that it shouldn’t be delegated to regional level, but steps should be taken at the national level and then they should be implemented thoroughly at all levels. Moreover, one more reason provided by the author for his claim is that proper resources should be allocated to the development of waste water purification processes, steps should be taken to ensure advancement in the research on such subjects as well as to the establishment of sewer water purification plants. Being persuasive in his propositions, the author portrays the benefit of considering waste water management a national issue by comparing it to that of conquering space. As space conquest may be guarantee financial investment by putting human into space as well as a glorifying accomplishment, providing a similar attention to sewage treatment by the suggested ways will help millions of people and be a source of happiness. For example investing a similar amount in purifying one main river in our planet; be it the Ruhr, the Rhine, the Ohio, the Potomac or the Delaware will enable millions of people to access freshwater and thus will bring happiness and sense of fulfillment among individuals (Stander, 787). Conclusion By analyzing different researches, the answer to my formulated research question is that globally the water shortage is rising along with an increase in water pollution, so in order to maintain adequate supply, waste water management should be ensured at national level. The best source of exploring the answer was the work of G. J. Stander who not only provided details on research in the field but also suggested utilizing persuasive strategy to equalize the waste water management to the national security and other national issues. One more suggestion based on the collaboration of industries in promoting effluent treatment procedures was provided by the author, Helen B. Shaffer, was backed by the convincing claim that the water requirements are huge for industries and to cater its own demand, industries need to formulate plan for treating its own effluent. Waste water management is thus a good source of recycling water and addressing the water shortage issue. Works Cited Cooper, Mary H. "Global Water Shortages." CQ Researcher, 15 Dec 1995: 1113-36. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. Johnson, Nels., Carmen Revenga and Jaime Echeverria. “Managing Water for People and Nature. Science.” New Series 292.5519 (May 11, 2001): 1071-1072. Print. Packman, Martin. "Water for the Future." Editorial Research Reports 1955. Vol. II. Washington: CQ Press, 1955: 437-56. CQ Researcher. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. Shaffer, Helen B. "Water Pollution." Editorial Research Reports 1953.Vol. II. Washington: CQ Press, 1953: 483-98. CQ Researcher. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. Stander, G. J. “Water Pollution Research: A Key to Wastewater Management.” Journal (Water Pollution Control Federation) 38.5 (May, 1966): 774-788. Print. Read More