Water, Life and Health – Overcoming the Challenge of Global Water Requirement Effluent treatment of water through wastewater treatment plant will not just solve the issue of drinking water but will also facilitate resources with better water quality to the world
By Dr. Ashutosh Tiwari •
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Life is non-existent without water. In fact, the complete evolution process of planet earth, all living species – including Homo-sapiens – revolve around water. The development of the world, since the time immemorial, humanity has developed with water being one the prime resource of life.
Today, with the man entering the age of digitization and advanced technology, industrialism has taken over and natural water resources are getting consumed at ever-fast pace. With an increase in pollution, a number of water-borne diseases and impurities are posing a serious threat. The wastewater management and wastewater treatment have also posed a great danger to humanity in recent times. Government machinery across the globe are leaving no stone unturned to optimize their water resources and wastewater management systems including the water purification, mineralization of water, consumption regulation, healthcare policy implementation, disease control mechanisms, and water disposal at prime focus in their action plans.
More than one-half of the world's major rivers are being seriously depleted and polluted, degrading and poisoning the surrounding ecosystems, thus threatening the health and livelihood of people who depend upon them for irrigation, drinking and industrial water" – healthcare plans to prevent water-borne diseases and wastewater treatment is the first priority of the economies today. The water quality is depleting by each coming day because of a lot of reasons like the heavy metals and dyes that constitute industrial waste, biodegradation, innumerable bacteria, and lack of proper sewage treatment. Not just this, a lot of infections, bacteria, fungi, and viruses are also adding to the water resources, contaminating the same and creating health hazards. Scientists and innovators around the world are churning the wheels of their minds to come up with sustainable wastewater treatment and water purification systems.
Drinking water purification: Quenching the thirst of planet earth
While water makes up about 71 per cent of the earth's surface, only a tiny fraction of it is drinkable. Not just drinking water, fresh water is essential for almost every other thing. Consequently, many parts of the world are suffering from severe droughts recurrently. In such a scenario, where drinking water can even be a catalyst to wars, wastewater treatment, and wastewater management are quintessential for the governments and global developmental organizations.
Even over 70% of the human body comprises water, and that makes water an essential life element. Changes in the minerals and elements in the drinking water can lead to severe waterborne diseases ranging from diarrhoea to dengue and cholera. Healthcare is a critical issue when it comes to water management. Nations today are working at extremities to fight water-borne diseases and facilitate treated mineral water to their citizens for a healthy lifestyle. Water is at the core of sustainable development goals defined by the UN, which aims to create an ecosystem where every human gets safe mineral water for drinking and sanitation purposes.
In addition to the burning issues of drinking water resources, health care, and sanitation, wastewater treatment is also a focus area for economies across the world. As quoted in the 2017 UN World Water Development Report, Wastewater: The Untapped Resource – "Over 80% of the world's wastewater – and over 95% in some least developed countries – is released to the environment without treatment." The need of the hour is to find a better wastewater management system that will not just improve the water quality but also help in pollutant removal, through the effluent treatment and help world walk towards better future.
Wastewater management: recycling of the wastewater
The "Agenda: 2030' of the United Nations has defined water as one of the Sustainable Development Goals and promotes governments to establish wastewater treatment plants at a large scale to improve the water quality and avail drinking water to people facing severe water-related issues. Water resources across the globe are getting increasingly polluted due to the lack of strict regulations on industries for waste disposal. Industries and factories disposing of industrial waste, heavy metals, dye, organic matter, bacteria, and toxic material into water resources are further leading to degradation. Getting rid of the waterborne diseases and availing mineral water is the prime target of the policies and plans activated currently across the globe.
Effluent treatment of water through wastewater treatment plant will not just solve the issue of drinking water but will also facilitate resources with better water quality to the world. Water is the major essential of life and water management will truly decide the future of humanity – free from diseases, safe, healthy, and sustainable living.
