Water, Water, Everywhere: Water Types and Their Uses

It is often said that men can live without food in about forty days, but they can't survive without water for only three. The importance of water in life also goes beyond its capacity to quench thirst and rehydrate the body; in the life of the community, water is vital for irrigation and agriculture, manufacturing and hygiene. There are different types of water, each with its special uses.

Raw water is considered hard water. It is untreated and contains germs and viruses that may be hazardous to health, which is why it is not recommended for drinking. Many households in developing countries, however, turn to boiling their water to make it safer for drinking while also consuming the minerals contained in water, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron in different quantities. However, raw water is mainly used in road dust control and filling dams in farms.

De-mineralised water is water that has undergone treatment through one of many means, such as distillation, de-ionisation, or other water treatment technologies, making it almost completely free of dissolved minerals. This water, however, is still not considered safe for drinking and is mostly used in manufacturing with uses in chemical plants, transportation, and other industries.

Potable water is safely consumed by humans and animals. There are naturally occurring potable water, such as in natural springs. Besides boiling, some households add pills to water to neutralize bacteria. On a community-level, water is chemically treated (or disinfected) and filtered to sift out contaminating particulates.

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Fast Facts and Trivia about Water

Everyone agrees that water is the most important substance on earth. However, not everyone knows every bit of trivia about this tasteless, odorless, and colorless liquid. Here are some facts about water:

• Only 3% of the water found on earth is drinkable or fresh water. The rest of 97% is ocean, or salt water.
• 68.7% of that fresh water is trapped in glaciers. If ever they melted, sea levels will rise to up to 10 meters, flooding 25% of the United States population.
• Americans use 100 gallons of water per day for the average family. Most of it is used to flush the toilet, more than any other action. Conversely, the average African family who live below the Sahara have only 2-5 gallons of water to use everyday.
• More than 2 billion people have no access to safe water. To fetch water, most of them walk for at least 3 hours. In Third World countries, 10,000 children under the age of 5 die because of illnesses from drinking impure water.

So the next time you brush your teeth, bear in mind that you can save up to 4 gallons of water by turning it off. If you see it dripping, have it fixed straightaway. 3,000 gallons could be wasted in a year by that unattended drip. 

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Transporting Water into Perth from the Kimberley

The greater Perth metropolitan area has undergone tough times as far its water supply is concerned. Although the city itself sits on top of an ancient aquifer, changes in environmental conditions have stressed the water supply to the point of a water shortage crisis. Experts are hard-pressed to find new resources in light of a growing population and higher standard of living for Perth natives. Recent developments in the Federal Government’s water management discussions, on the other hand, are leaning towards the revival of a water project linking Perth with the Kimberley.

Originally proposed in mid-2005 but rejected a year later, the plan called for a 3,700-kilometer canal to be built from the Kimberley to Perth. Other elements of the plan involved laying down pipelines, towing bags of water down the coast, and tapping supertankers to transport water. This comes at a time when Colin Barnett, who expressed intentions for such a plan in his failed run for the premiership in 2005, is now the state premier facing reelection.

Even the opposition is welcoming the initiative, with Shadow Regional Development Minister Barnaby Joyce hard at work in shunning Federal Government critics. Pundits say that the project will help shape the Kimberley’s political future. 

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