Water is one of the world’s most precious resources. Life can’t exist without a combination of oxygen and water, though the available water on earth is steadily becoming less.
Aquatic and marine habitats are threatened every day, with pollution, deforestation, single-use plastic pollution, and industrial interference all contributing to the world’s water problem. Is water a renewable resource?
Corruption, theft, and resource misuse also cut off access to clean, sustainable water in especially developing parts of the world.
Clean water is a finite resource, but the water itself covers approximately 70% of the world’s total surface. Water purification could mean that more clean, usable water is available to the world.
Renewable resources are ones that can be recycled and put to practical use again.
Water itself can be purified an almost endless amount of times – as long as the correct processes are used!
But: is water really a renewable resource?
Here are 10 things to know.
10 Things to Know About Water
1. Approximately 70% of the Earth is covered in water, but there’s a catch.
One of the first facts we learn about the planet is that the Earth is covered in vast masses of water. Up to 70% of the world is covered in bodies of water: oceans, rivers, lakes, marshes and more.
That doesn’t mean that all of the world has usable, drinkable water.
Statistics say that only about 3% of the world’s water is fresh and safe for human/animal consumption. That’s a huge leap down from 70%, isn’t it?
Marine water has a very high saline content. Humans can’t safely consume saltwater, unless it has been put through a process called desalination first to remove the salt.
The rest of the world’s water supply is not safe (or accessible) to people. Thus, lack of access to water remains an international daily concern.
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2. Pollution is a real, active danger
Pollution is one of the largest environmental dangers out there, with more facets than a diamond. Air pollution, water pollution, smoke pollution, chemical pollution… The industry has not been responsive to the planet in the past.
Various forms of pollution threaten to cut ecosystems down to size but are more than just a passive killer.
Water pollution caused the direct deaths of an estimated 1.8 million people in 2015. Dirty, contaminated water continues to affect millions of people each year, often fatally. Water as a renewable resource can drastically reduce this number.
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3. 1 in every 9 people get their water from a dangerous or diseased source.
According to UNESCO, as much as 1 in every 9 people get their water from a dangerous, diseased or potentially contaminated source.
Contaminated water is not safe to drink and can’t be used for cooking or food preparation. It’s a simple fact that many areas of the world don’t have a choice.
Contaminants often spread through unfavorable, poor conditions or lack of access to clean water.
These contaminants (including diseases like cholera) are yearly killers and affect thousands more.
UNESCO estimates that approximately 2.4 billion people on Earth live without access to clean, safe water. The risk is huge, and many lives are at risk as a result.
Water as a renewable resource could help this number to reduce.
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4. The majority of home waste leads straight into the ocean.
The majority of home waste goes straight into the ocean, where it ends up on landfills or contributes to an ecological problem called trash islands.
How much trash do you think one average household creates in a year? Double your guess, and you might still not be close to the real number. According to Pacinst.org, approximately 2 million tons of household waste alone gets thrown into the world’s oceans every year.
That’s home waste only.
Industrial waste account for an even larger part of the problem.
Home recycling can make a huge difference to the worldwide pollution issue.
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5. Drinking water has to be heavily treated with chemicals to be called “clean” water.
Drinking water undergoes several processes before it can be called “drinking water” you would get from the plant to your tap. Processing plants do exactly this, and filter particles through before treating water with several chemicals.
These processing plants serve an important function for the world’s ecology: it is one way to recycle large amounts of water at once.
While the water that goes into the treatment plant is not fit for human consumption, the water which comes out on the other side will be clean.
Sustainable water plants are essential for the future of this important resource.
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6. Water borne diseases are a worldwide problem made worse by limited access to clean water.
Water recycling can help to reduce the instances of water-borne diseases like cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis.
Diseases like gastroenteritis and dysentery are also part of those which spread through contaminated water.
Recycled, clean water and improved access to it everywhere can reduce the amount of reported water-borne disease cases every year.
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7. Water can be purified with water purifiers.
Water purifiers are a type of household water treatment that guarantees safer, cleaner water for use. Scientifically tested purifiers can remove up to 99% of impurities and particles found in water.
Household water purifiers are essential and contribute to environmental sustainability.
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8. Water recycling can treat water and circulate clean water back into the system.
Industrial water recycling turns water to a fully renewable resource that can be cleaned an infinite number of times – as long as the proper processes are used to do it.
Approximately 1 billion gallons of water get treated each day in water treatment plants across the United States.
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9. Home water recycling is easy.
Home water recycling is not a difficult or expensive task but can be done with just a few simple tools you can find on Amazon.
Every drop makes a difference to the environment and guarantees your household access to the cleanest water you can have.
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10. When properly recycled, water can be an infinite resource.
Water does not disappear, but instead becomes contaminated or absorbed into other natural processes (like rain versus flowing water in a lake).
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7 Great Water Recycling Products From Amazon
Want to do your part to ensure clean, sustainable water in the home? Here are 7 great water recycling products from Amazon that can help the environment and your home at the same time.
1. Soma Sustainable Pitcher & Plant-Based Water Filter
The SOMA Sustainable Pitcher & Plant-Based Water Filter is one of the best products for home use, and one of the most popular products in its class on Amazon.
Made to filter all the impurities from the water kept in it, the pitcher is great for home use if you need a filtration system that fits in the fridge or next to the kettle.
Clean, filtered water is guaranteed every time.
Its plant-based design also means that the product itself is a sustainable buy with little negative impact on the environment to manufacture.
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2. Outback Emergency Water Filter System
The Outback Emergency Water Filter System retails for $99, and makes a great option for campers, hikers and travelers who need a larger capacity filtration product.
The Outback has the capacity of a larger bucket rather than being a single-serving cup or syringe like some systems.
A gravity-feed system is used to turn water with impurities into clean, usable water in just a few minutes.
This is one of the best large capacity water recycling products that guarantees clean water every time.
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3. LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
The LifeSraw Personal Water Filter is sold in units of 2, and the ideal portable water filter if you are a hiker or camper who needs something in their kit.
Never underestimate the importance of clean, filtered water when you are out in the wilderness.
LifeStraw might have a very small capacity and only fill approximately one mug at a time, but it’s perfect if portable is what you need.
While similar products exist, the LifeStraw is one of the only products that guarantee scientifically verified results.
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4. Brita Basic Faucet Water Filter System
The Brita Basic Faucet Water Filter System is a water filtration system that does not depend on capacity but instead filters water straight from the tap.
The design of the Brita Faucet Filter means that it’s ideal for most different types of home taps.
If capacity is irrelevant and you have a need for a direct water filtration system connected to your feed, the Brita Basic model is perfect.
Sustainable, safe materials are guaranteed in the manufacturing process. It’s one of the best products, not just because it’s useful, but because it is sustainably made.
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5. AquaTru Countertop Water Filtration System
AquaTru is one of the most reliable brands in water filtration, and this model is great for the home as a countertop model with enough capacity to handle the average household’s water needs.
Reverse osmosis and a four-stage filtration technique is what makes the AquaTrue Filtration system unique. It’s reliable, made from high quality materials and guaranteed to result in clean, drinkable water with no impurities.
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6. P&G Water Purifier Powdered
P&G Water Purifier is unlike most other types of water purification products on the market. It’s not a device, cup or tap attachment, but instead the P&G water purifier is a chemical that gets added to water in need of it.
P&G Water Purifier is a powder that guarantees clean and usable water in minutes, one that is completely free from any impurities.
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7. JTAPure Ultraviolet Water Purifier
The JTAPure Ultraviolet Water Purifier works by using the power of UV light to clear impurities from your water – an effective method that targets the most common types of waterborne danger right at its source.
The JTA Pure UV Water Purifier is easy to hook up, and the dispenser has a comfortable capacity perfect for the average household water needs.
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