Comments on: the water that flows … part 1

By: Francois

Francois — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:56:00 +0000

Amazing… your writing is fairly in depth, many thanks.

By: daniela

daniela — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:55:26 +0000

hi corrina!
thanks for visiting my blog … the urban water cycle illustration you’re referring to is from SOPAC (w.pacificwater.org) and can be found here: http://www.pacificwater.org/pages.cfm/water-services/water-demand-management/water-distribution/the-water-cycle.html
best,
d
/|\^..^/|\

By: Corrina

Corrina — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:41:54 +0000

Hello , can you tell me who owns the second water cycle image? We would like to use with permission on our website.

Thank you,
Corrina Quintana
303-692-3277

By: daniela

daniela — Thu, 26 May 2011 02:59:16 +0000

thanks for your question, mike! … thankfully, tina provided a fantastic answer before i did!

By: daniela

daniela — Thu, 26 May 2011 02:57:35 +0000

hi tina!
thanks so much for answering mike’s question…. i had been meaning to find some time to do so myself but… well, you know how it is … you summarized precisely what i meant to write–so thank you very much for that! … here are a few other points i’d like to add:

- local and regional water sources are often depleted or diverted to other localities (often for political and economic reasons) and this creates an “apparent” loss of water … aquifers and water sources can also run dry due to changing weather patterns, and this can create acute or long-term local or regional water shortages …

- tina makes a good point about water contamination and pollution affecting (decreasing) the amount of usable / drinkable water that is available to many communities and, eventually, to all the world … in addition to this, many chemicals (“organic”, “natural” & otherwise) effect blooms of algae and other microorganisms, which further change water ecosystems & can turn a once-drinkable water source into one that is not fit for consumption …

- there are certainly differences in how certain uses of water ultimately affect the water supply … for example, industrial applications are usually more wasteful and detrimental than domestic and personal uses, but of course every little action adds up!

thanks to both of you!

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:38:29 +0000

I am surprised no one has replied!!!!!!!!!! I am a freshwater biologist at Missouri State University looking for websites for a class and came across your question and it is not only a good one, but one I have to answer for my husband over and over and over and over again

The problem with “wasting” water is that when it goes down the drain, it is taking more with it than it came in with. Waste water treatment plants have come a long way, but cannot keep up with efficient removal of the things that go drown the drain short of excrement and some high end plants remove phosphorus. If you couple that with the fact that approximately 200+ new and improved chemicals a year enter the retail market with minimal testing on long term effects on the environment, with usually no tests done on synergistic effects, then that provides an additonal reason.

So, you might ask, if I switched to organic, would that work? Again , look at the end effects of things put back into the environment. The ONE lake, stream, river that is getting that material is being inundated!

Finally, the water water process DOES take a TON of energy. Wihtout it, we couldn’t support the current number (and future number) of people that inhabit the earth.

OK- I have to get bakc to work

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:10:22 +0000

Your article is excellent and impresses on us the need to conserve water. However, although you do touch on this, my question is how does running water in my shower, water that has come out of the system (e.g. the river) and is then immediately returned (via the water treatment plant, of course) to the river, waste water in the sense of leaving less of it behind for future generations. I understand the fact that the treatment plants use energy and my using less water reduces energy used to process the water. But, the basic question is the conservation of water for the future. I cannot see how my water-gushing toilet, as much as it is costing me money in water bills, wastes water for the future. Perhaps if this were explained properly to the average person, more water conservation would take place. Don’t misunderstand, I am all for water conservation, but I have yet to see my question adequately explained. Can you explain it — not just for me, but for all the other (unintentionally) ignorant people out there?