The Theme of World Water Day 2017 is WASTEWATER.
By Connie Carrigan, SSND & Eileen Denny, SSND
What is Wastewater?
Wastewater is any water that has been contaminated. Wastewater is the fancy term
applied to water that is polluted by human activity such as bathing, dishwashing, doing
laundry, fertilizing crops, flushing the toilet, and hydraulic fracturing or fracking for oil
or gas.
Is wastewater harmful to us?
Pollution of surface water is a problem for over half of our planet’s population. Each
year 250 million cases of water-borne diseases are documented, causing roughly five
to 10 million deaths.
Fifty percent of worldwide groundwater is unsuitable for drinking because of pollution
and only about one percent of the water on earth is available for human use. The
world water pollution and sanitation crisis takes more lives through disease than any
war has through the use of weapons.
We can and must find ways to safely recycle wastewater to sustain life on our planet!
What happens to wastewater?
Used or “contaminated” water moves to drains and sewers and continues to a
treatment plant that operates 24/7, conducting a series of processes to eliminate
contaminants. The water, once cleaned, can be discharged into the environment
without the risk of spreading diseases or killing off plants and animals. Too often
though, wastewater remains in the ground or runs off into nearby bodies of water
contaminating them.
Wastewater from fracking is another story. You can’t use a standard municipal water
treatment plant to treat flowback and produced water from fracking because those
facilities are not designed to handle the level of contamination, especially radioactivity,
found in these waters. Some procedures have been developed to deal with this
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flowback but they are not 100 percent effective and there are not sufficient
procedures available to meet the vast need.
The U.N. estimates that by 2025, 48 nations, with combined populations of 2.8 billion,
will face freshwater scarcity.
Most of the world today cannot take a hot shower, get clean water from the tap, and
flush away yesterday’s dinner.
Every day more than 2,000 people die from dysentery due to unsafe drinking water,
sanitation & hygiene. Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease.
Most businesses do not yet consider water to be a social issue, and the great majority
does not consider the impact their policies and operations have on human rights for
water.
For many of us, clean water is so plentiful and readily available that we rarely, if ever,
pause to consider what life would be like without it. We need to be aware of our
selfish or careless actions that cause the pollution of the air we breathe and the water
we drink. Marcus Samuelsson
“We can no longer remain silent before one of the greatest environmental crises in
the world. Today’s world, ravaged as it is by a throwaway culture, needs you!”
- Pope Francis
EVERY DROP COUNTS!
Water conservation is something we all should practice. Except for the air we
breathe, water is the single most important element in our lives. It's too precious to
waste. The following suggestions will help save hundreds, even thousands of gallons
of water per month with little inconvenience.
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Little leaks add up in a hurry. A faucet drip or invisible toilet leak that totals only
two tablespoons a minute comes to 15 gallons a day. That's 105 gallons a week and
5,460 wasted gallons of water a year.
Check every faucet in the house. A single dripping faucet can waste far more water
in a single day than one person needs for drinking in an entire week.
Fill your dishwasher and your washing machines full because they will use the
same amount of water for a normal cycle, whether they contain a full load or just a
few items.
Instead of letting the water run in the sink when you want a cool drink, keep a jug or
pitcher cooling in the refrigerator.
Every glass of water brought to your table in a restaurant requires another two
glasses of water to wash and rinse the glass. We'd save millions of gallons of water
if only water was served when requested.
Water is a precious commodity and there is a limited supply in most
communities. Remember to use only the amount you actually need.
Encourage everyone to keep looking for new ways to conserve
water in and around your home.
(adapted from Care2HealthyLiving)
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Water in Crisis
What can I do to prevent wastewater?
I can’t do everything, but I can do something!
Take moderate showers or limit showers –
So others may have water
When washing dishes, don’t let the water run while you are scrubbing –
So others may have water
Don’t waste water for a cold drink. Put a pitcher in the fridge or use ice cubes So others may have water
Since half loads waste gallons and gallons of water, don’t run the washing machine
until it is full –
So others may have water
Water comes out of the average faucet at 2.5 gallons per minute, so turn off the tap
while brushing your teeth –
So others may have water
The demand for bottled water, corporate agriculture, and fracking are powerful forces
creating and sustaining the shortage and contamination of our planet’s water supply.
We must take a stand and speak out against these industries carless and harmful
practices.
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So that all life may have water
Prayer for World Water Day – March 22
Today, on World Water Day, let us lift our voices in prayer for all persons who are on
the margins, especially those who do not have access to safe water sources.
We pray for the 663 million people who lack access to safe water.
Plant our hearts near streams of compassion.
We pray for the women and children who spend hours each day walking to collect
water.
Plant our hearts near streams of compassion.
We pray for the 800,000 deaths per year attributable to unsafe water supply, poor
sanitation and hygiene.
Plant our hearts near streams of compassion.
We pray for a reduction in the 38 billion plastic water bottles that end up in landfills
every year.
Plant our hearts near streams of compassion.
We pray for greater accountability and transparency when public water systems are
threatened.
Plant our hearts near streams of compassion.
Good and gracious God, we pray for humility to see all the ways we take water for
granted. Send Your Spirit to change the hearts of those who use water to create strife
and conflict. Have mercy on those who are sick or in need because they cannot access
safe water. We are thankful for Your gift of water seen in the beauty of waterfalls,
placid lakes, rivers that move people and commerce, oceans full of amazing creatures.
Give us guidance on how to be better stewards of a finite resource. We ask all of this in
Your name. Amen.
Creator of water, make me aware and grateful for the water available to me. Call my
heart to small sacrifices that save water for the less fortunate. Make me generous in
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supporting organizations that fight for the dignity and purity of water. Help me be part
of the solution not the problem. Amen.
CONSERVE TO PRESERVE
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