Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink
The tag line of the U.N.'s World Water Day initiative this year is "Learn. Act. Share."
You've taken the first step of "learning" by reading some or all of what's been "shared" in the 2011 Bermuda Sun Water Report. This ClearWater Systems article is part snapshot of island-specific water challenges, and part highlights of some recent, creative solutions from other locales.
Margaret Catley-Carlson, a former senior official with both the Canadian government and the United Nations reminds us that "water cannot be created, it can only be [sic] managed."1
While we can't control how much water is available to us, we can control how we use it on a global, corporate, governmental and personal level.
You know the challenges we're up against in Bermuda - 65,000 residents in our 21 square miles. And that's not counting our thirsty, transient tourist population. Being surrounded completely by water, we understand the irony of "water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" all too well.
It is not only pollution that affects the scarce "fresh" water in Bermuda's lens, but the natural environment and the salt water that encompasses the island. Sea water ebbs and flows its way into the lens while heavy rain and easily-eroded soil reduces the underground water storage area.2
Your roof is an easily-managed part of your relationship with water. By having it professionally cleaned and by having your tank waterproofed, to keep the water in and contaminants out, you can provide yourself and your family with clean drinking water and piece of mind.
Bermuda is not the only country facing water scarcity and contamination.3 Jurisdictions all over the globe are taking action to mitigate the crisis at many levels…
In and around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, the water contamination has surpassed crisis levels. To help combat the problem, Spain is planning to ship two solar-powered water purification systems that use reverse osmosis to clear radiation from drinking water to help the people in surrounding villages.4
In arid countries, doing business that doesn't drain the water supply makes sense and cents. In the dry state of Rajasthan in India, farmers are choosing to grow olive trees instead of crops like wheat and maize that require more water to grow. Growing olives leaves more water in the ground for the residents to drink and allows farmers to make more money than they would from thirstier crops.5
The Mediterranean island of Malta is officially known to be one of the three most water scarce member states in the European Union.To improve the management of water in the country, the Maltese government intends to regulate what was once a "free for all" policy in managing the consumption of ground water.6
At a personal level, Canadian Kevin Freedman celebrated World Water Day this year by cooking, washing and drinking with only a fraction of the amount of water consumed by the average North American. For the month of March he used only 25 litres of water per day instead of the continental average of 330 litres.7
Now that you've hopefully learned a little, according to this year's World Water Day initiative, it's time to act! You can start by choosing one thing you can do to better manage your water use. Exploring some of ClearWater's treatment options is one way you can ensure that your drinking water is as safe as it can be.
ClearWater Systems has been Bermuda's source for water treatment information, equipment and service since 1997. We're working hard to keep our customers up to date, keep their water safe to drink and help them reduce costs, waste and their affect our fragile environment. We've recently introduced zero-waste under-counter filtration systems, solar-powered treatment and desalination equipment and "green" wastewater treatment systems for foodservice operations that don't require the use of harsh chemicals.
For more information about ClearWater Systems, or to book a free water quality evaluation by Bermuda's only Water Quality Association member company, please e-mail Ryon Outerbridge or Chris Merritt, give us a ring on 236-3388 or pop by 10 Harvey Road in Paget.
For the Bermuda Sun version of this article please visit www.bermudasun.bm
