Unclean Water: Threatens Health - Essay Example

Water Pollution Introduction Polluted water is one of the biggest risks for health in the world. Clean water in abundance lays the basis of a prosperous community and a sustainable ecosystem. Water is the fundamental necessity of every living being. Unfortunately, the demand of fresh clean drinkable water is more than its supply in many parts of the world which has led the world to a water crisis. While over 70% of the surface of Earth is covered by water, water crisis can still not be deterred because most of it is saline water and is not suitable for drinking or domestic purposes. Usable water forms only a little bit of the total volume of water on Earth which is why preservation of fresh and clean water is a very big concern. Unclean water threatens public health and quality of life. Preservation of pure water has become an even bigger concern in the recent years because of the changing climatic pattern in general and the increasing global warming and pollution in particular. Lakes and rivers are threatened by the changing climate patterns. Pollution is overdrawing and tainting the chief sources tapped for drinking water. Mechanism of Water Pollution Water is polluted because of a range of factors that may or may not be controlled by man. Rainwater and water generated from the melting of snow runs off the roofs and roads and pours into the streams and rivers, thus picking up a lot of toxic chemicals along the way. Most water resources are not provided with basic protection which makes them vulnerable to gathering polluted substances from industrial plants, factors farms, and fracking. As a result of this, drinking water is contaminated, beaches are closed out, and the habitat is destroyed. Water is also polluted because of activities of humans. Poor channels of disposal of waste, dumping of waste into clean water, and chemicals, waste and sewage generated from the industries into streams and rivers are major causes of water pollution. Treatment of Polluted Water Some ways in which water can be made safe for drinking and sufficient include taking measures to reduce the wastage of water, protecting water from pollution, increasing people’s awareness and readiness about challenges associated with the shortage of water, and retaining sufficient water in the waterways for a vibrant aquatic ecosystem. One way of treating polluted water is by using septic tanks. Septic tanks treat sewage at its location, thus obviating the need for the waste to be transported through a sewage system or treatment plant. Septic tanks are usually used when water has to be treated from individual buildings. In this method, untreated sewage flows from the building into a septic tank which separates the solids from the liquid. This stage is followed by separation of the solids depending upon their density. Particles with more weight sink down to the bottom of the tank whereas particles like soap scum, which are lighter in weight, remain on the top of the water tank and form a layer. The solid materials are degraded using biological processes. After filtration of the remaining solids, the liquid runs out of the tank and is collected into a land drainage system. Water Pollution: A Rising Concern for Businesses Water pollution is one of the major concerns for contemporary businesses. “Business firms (and all other social institutions) are parts of a larger ecological system, “spaceship earth”” (Malachowski, 2001, p. 211) in that business farms depend upon the environment and surroundings for resources as well as disposal. People and stakeholders have grown very conscious about environmental health and safety in the present age. With the growth of awareness about the way irresponsible business practices affect the environment, people tend to favor the products and services rendered by green businesses and condemn the entrepreneurs and organizations whose policies and practices harm the environment. A major cause of water pollution is environment unfriendly business practices. A potential example of this is the pollution of the Gulf of Mexico caused by the oil spill by British Petroleum that has not only caused immense damage to the marine life but has also caused irreparable damage to the reputation of the company. In addition to that, water pollution caused in this manner has also affected the multibillion-dollar fishing industry as “the Coast Guard extended its ban on fishing to an area encompassing 46,000 square miles of federal waters—or 19 percent of the US exclusive economic zone in the Gulf of Mexico” (Elay, 2010). Water Pollution: Who Bears the Responsibility? The responsibility of ensuring safety of water is mutually shared by government and the citizens. The policy prescription for dealing with such problems in the developing countries as water pollution is polarizing into two distinct points of view; the first group of policy advocates and researchers which also includes multilateral organizations supports massive use of market based instruments in the developing countries and countries-in-transition whereas the second group of policy advocates and researchers is of the view that the government first needs to build institutions, or incremental or tiered approach should be selected by the policy makers after consideration of the existing capabilities (Kathuria, 2006). While every individual should play his/her role in the protection of clean and pure water, government should regulate the use of and access to clean water and implement effective control systems to deter the polluting practices of the organizations. Government can use schools and media as very effective forums of cultivating awareness of the gravity of this issue among the public at large. People can be motivated to use water responsibly and do their bit only by inculcating the awareness of the gravity of water pollution and its effects in them. Common Principles Certain common principles offer guidance over what is wasteful and what is reasonable use of water in the different sectors as discussed below: Reuse Water can be used multiple times by different or same sectors depending upon the location where it is needed and the permissible quality of water. It is possible to reuse the water wasted by sloppy methods of irrigation downstream. The same water can be infiltrated into the groundwater or be evaporated so that it returns to the Earth’s surface in the form of rain. The latter may or may not be useful depending upon the extent of precipitation in the desired location. “The biggest opportunity for win-win solutions to water allocation is in managing the flow of water uses from trout stream to reservoir to recreational river that is feeds irrigation canals that recharge the groundwater that flow back to the river, where it can be used for urban water supply and industry, then treated and returned to the river, eventually discharging into a healthy and productive estuary and the ocean” (Water-Culture Institute, 2014). Substitutability While the need of water for many purposes cannot be overemphasized, its use can certainly be reduced in certain processes. For example, water use can be lowered in the irrigation by investing in drip and sprinkler technologies. A way to substitute water for capital is floor irrigation which uses more water. It may be desirable to waste water on the farmer’s field if the surplus water is reused downstream. The purpose should be to save as much water as possible without affecting the efficiency or productivity of the operation. Environmental impact Whenever and whichever way water is used, it leaves its impact on the environment. The impact reflects firstly in the water itself which may get cleaned or polluted, in the transportation of water through infrastructural channels, as well as in the environment in which water is captured or returned. References: Elay, T. (2010, May 19). BP disaster spreads oil pollution across the Gulf of Mexico. World Socialist Web Site. Retrieved from http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/05/gulf-m19.html. Kathuria, V. (2006). Controlling water pollution in developing and transition countries—lessons from three successful cases. Journal of Environmental Management. 78(4), 405-426. Malachowski, A. R. (2001). Business Ethics: Critical Perspectives on Business and Management. Taylor & Francis. Water-Culture Institute. (2014). Ethics of Water Use. Retrieved from http://www.waterculture.org/Ethics_of_Water_Use.html. Read More