Information

Contaminated Water

1.1 billion people in the world have bad drinking water, and 15 000 people die every day because of the sicknesses transmitted from that water. 90% of these people are children. In third world countries, 80% of sicknesses that cause death are from contaminated water. To stay in good health, you need to have good, clean drinking water.

Some of the main sources of contamination are chemicals, metals and bacteria. 

For chemical products, there are fertilizers that contain nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. There are pesticides that are chemical products used for killing organisms, plants and animals. They are used by farmers and the public. These chemical products contaminate underground water.

For metals, there is aluminum that is used in the treatment process. That can cause memory loss. There is copper that comes from pipe corrosion. This can cause stomach problems. Another metal is lead that comes from pipes in old houses. This can make you sick. The last metal is arsenic that can cause cancer.

Treatment of Water

The water treatment in  Vancouver is different from other places in the world because its water is already fairly clean. The first step in the treatment process is to add the primary disinfectant, which is ozone, ozone kills bacteria and viruses. It reduces the need for tunnels and  pipes that use the chlorine disinfectant. The secondary disinfectant is chlorine. We use chlorine because just ozone isn't strong enough ( if you only use ozone, then there can be some bacteria).

The treatment  in other places without drinkable water has six steps. The first step is aeration, which is where you put oxygen in to get rid of  harmful gases, the second step is when you add aluminum salt. The dirt sticks to the aluminum salts. The third step is when the particles sink to the bottom because they are heavy. The fourth step is when the water is filtered. For the fifth step you put chlorine in the water, which kills the bacteria. The sixth and final step is when the water flows through your tap!

The Cycle Of Water

The role of water is important, because it is a  part of a never ending cycle around the world. 

There are six steps in the cycle of water. The first step is evaporation. Water comes from oceans, rivers, lakes and streams. And then, it evaporates into the atmosphere. When a lot of water  evaporates into the atmosphere, vapor condenses. Condensation is the second step. Condensation is when clouds form. The third step of the cycle is precipitation. Clouds produce snow or rain.  The fourth step is when the water flows on the surface. A bit of this water is absorbed by the vegetation, most of it goes into lakes, rivers, oceans and streams. The rest of the water is absorbed by the ground. The fifth step is infiltration. That is when the water flows through sand and clay. The sand and clay filters the water. The sixth step is the formation of underground lakes. It is when the underground water forms lakes.

 Ways To Conserve Water

Did you know that each person uses 160 liters of water in a day? A three minute shower uses three times less water than a big bath.  In the world, 70% of water is used for agriculture.

Modern technology is very important in conserving water. The technology can minimize the wasting of water for toilets and industries.

But you don't need modern technology to save water; you can save tons of it at home! You can repair your leaky taps because one drop per second wastes 6 000 liters of water per year. If you want cold water, don't leave the tap running until the water is cold, just put your water in your refrigerator. Don't leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, it wastes nine liters per minute! Don't wash vegetables with the tap running, fill a bowl up with water instead. Don't use your hose during the day, because your water evaporates quickly. Instead, use it during the night. A hose uses as much water as a family of 4 uses in a day. Don't use your washing machine unless it is full; each cycle uses 95 liters of water. You can use a bucket and sponge to wash your car instead of a hose. 

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