{"id":7193,"date":"2021-12-09T16:37:18","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T16:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aquaread.com\/blog\/?p=7193"},"modified":"2023-06-07T08:27:08","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T07:27:08","slug":"the-significance-of-clean-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aquaread.com\/blog\/the-significance-of-clean-water\/","title":{"rendered":"From Peats to Rivers: The Significance of Clean Water"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we talk about clean water, we mean much more than filtered drinking water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clean water is crucial for sustaining all life on earth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Without it, biodiversity, ecosystems, and human health simply cannot be sustained. It\u2019s clear that water, which makes up 71% of the earth\u2019s surface and 60% of the human body, needs to be protected, and not polluted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at the significance of clean water in more depth.<\/span><\/p>\n

The impacts of water pollution<\/span><\/h2>\n

Water pollution occurs when chemicals or harmful microorganisms enter streams, rivers<\/a><\/strong>, wetlands, oceans<\/a><\/strong>, or other bodies of water. It can cause water toxicity, making it harmful for humans and animals to consume and use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Groundwater pollution<\/span><\/h3>\n

What\u2019s worse, water pollution can be insidious \u2013 we might not realise we\u2019re doing it until it\u2019s too late. This is because a significant portion of our earth\u2019s water is groundwater.<\/span><\/p>\n

Groundwater is essentially stored in underground aquifers, refreshed by rain water that seeps below the surface. It\u2019s one of our largest stores of clean water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Its invisibility renders it vulnerable to pollution from animal agriculture run-off, septic system waste, and landfill waste. Once that happens, it’s nigh on impossible to rid aquifers of pollutants, and they can become unusable for decades to come.<\/span><\/p>\n

Groundwater pollution, in turn, spreads contamination into streams, lakes, and oceans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Surface water<\/span><\/h3>\n

Surface water makes up all those glistening blue parts on the globe \u2013\u00a0our seas, rivers, and lakes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The English water provider <\/span>AnglianWater sources 50% of its water from rivers and reservoirs<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. Before it\u2019s drinkable, it undergoes a complex process of treatments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But getting water up to drinkable standards is becoming harder and more energy-intensive, as fertilisers, pesticides<\/strong><\/a>, and nitrates seep into our precious sources.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not to mention, surface water <\/span>pollution has a dramatic impact on animal ecosystems<\/a><\/strong>, killing fish and invertebrates \u2013 many of which live in waters we then attempt to fish from.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ocean water<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Plastic<\/p>\n

Did you know that when we eat fish, we are often consuming microplastics?<\/span><\/p>\n

Littering, winds, and waste management errors all lead to the <\/span>accumulation of debris in the ocean<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. This often ends up getting broken down into smaller pieces called microplastics, which fish then consume and absorb into their tissue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Humans, in turn, eat the fish that consume the plastic.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Apart from the very serious problem of plastic pollution in our oceans, we also see alarming rates of chemical contamination and nutrient pollution. Concentrations of chemicals like nitrogen and phosphorus lead to the growth of toxic algal blooms<\/a><\/strong>, which impact local fishing and tourism industries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why clean water is so important<\/span><\/h2>\n

When we look at the effects of water pollution, it becomes clearer why it\u2019s so important to protect our water sources.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clean water is vital to:<\/span><\/p>\n