Billions of people rely on groundwater for drinking water. With the ever-growing global population, the amount of waste generated and improper waste disposal has contributed to increased groundwater contamination. Unfortunately, we do not realize there are certain human activities that cause water pollution; many of which occur in our homes.
Importance of Groundwater:
To understand the sources of groundwater pollution and how it affects every aspect of life, let’s discuss what groundwater is and why it is essential for human survival.
Groundwater is found beneath the surface of the earth. The importance of clean groundwater cannot be overstated. Hopefully, the practices that contaminate this important water source will begin to change.
Here’s why we need groundwater:
Major Source of Drinking Water - About ten million Canadians need it for safe drinking water and more than 80 percent of the people living in rural areas depend entirely on groundwater for their water supply.
Used in Agricultural Processes - For many years, groundwater played an important part in irrigation for semi-arid regions. With climate change worsening, groundwater is necessary to handle changing water supplies for agriculture. This means that any groundwater issues can have a direct impact on our lives and food sources.
Groundwater Regenerates Surface Water - Groundwater helps replenish rivers, lakes, swamps, and other bodies of surface water naturally. When groundwater is insufficient or becomes contaminated, the ecosystem suffers, causing major environmental impact around the world.
Groundwater Endures Drought - Drought can dry up surface water, but groundwater remains below to supply drinking water. This is especially true during the summer. In countries experiencing a crisis with generating filtered, clean drinking water, groundwater provides safe water to drink for some communities.
Groundwater Requires Less Treatment - When groundwater is uncontaminated, it is naturally cleaner than surface water, which is more exposed to contaminants. It does not require heavy chemical treatment to make it clean and safe for human consumption. Since groundwater is found beneath the surface, rocks and sand under the ground’s surface serve as natural filters for contaminants.
Sources of Groundwater:
Meteoric Water - Meteoric water, also known as the “shooting star water,” is considered the main source of groundwater. Meteoric water comes from rain, melted snow, sleet, and hail. The water is absorbed by the ground and infiltrates below through the fissures and pores of rocks and rock joints. It is then stored below and forms groundwater. Other sources of meteoric water include condensation of water vapour from the atmosphere and effluent seepage from rivers, oceans, lakes (and even man-made channels).
Connate Water - Also called “sediment water,” connate water is considered the second important source of groundwater. It is usually entrapped in the holes of sedimentary and volcanic rocks in various bodies of water, making it highly mineralized and salty.
Magmatic Water - Also known as “juvenile water,” magmatic water is formed from the condensation of vapour drops from volcanic hot magma entering rocks. When the magma cools, its gaseous content and water vapour get condensed into superheated water.
How Humans Cause Groundwater Contamination:
Contaminated water has been linked to declining health among human beings, plants, animals, and the ecosystem in general. Although a small amount of water contamination is to be expected, the problem gets out of hand when we are consistently irresponsible with the way we dispose of waste.
Examine your household and the community around you and ask yourself if you are contributing to groundwater contamination. Here are some human activities that directly and indirectly change the quality of water:
Dumping - Garbage directly pollutes land and water. Whether you purposely or accidentally dispose of your household waste in the wrong places (near streams, in the woods, or in ditches), it eventually breaks down and seeps into the soil, causing groundwater pollution. Dispose of waste properly or recycle whenever possible.
Industrial Runoff - The use of chemicals is common in the industrial sector. When they do not have a proper way to dispose of the waste, rain washes the dangerous toxins from factories as stormwater runoff, contaminating both surface water and groundwater. Groundwater contamination is doubly dangerous in areas where there are power plants.
Agricultural Runoff - Improper disposal of animal waste can cause buildup of ammonia and nitrates, and contaminates the local water sources with harmful bacteria. This can lead to various minor and even life-threatening health conditions. Moreover, when farms use chemicals on their crops, it could also result in similar runoff pollution caused by industrial factories and power plants.
Household Chemical Runoff - You may not realize that your home or yard may be causing runoff pollution. The chemicals you used to treat your lawn to kill pests can seep into the soil and reach groundwater sources. Ice melt that is strewn about irresponsibly will also eventually harm nearby plants, and the water source. Even if you do not use these chemicals, you still might unconsciously cause groundwater contamination when using detergent soap and other house cleaners outdoors.
Landfills - Even when garbage is properly disposed in landfills, it is still causing land, air, and water pollution. Some waste facilities were hastily constructed and do not meet modern standards. Tons of organic waste sits for too long in landfills. Once it starts to break down, the decomposition will create dangerous atmospheric gas, as well as infiltrate the soil and pollute groundwater.
Septic Systems - A household septic system may be an important part of plumbing, but it is more susceptible to leakage than the city sewer system. When this happens, human waste can easily contaminate the water supply. Drinking contaminated water can lead to bacterial infections, intestinal parasites, dysentery, and hepatitis. Septic tanks can be extremely dangerous, especially when installed incorrectly or without proper maintenance.
Mining - Mining sites operating near water sources increase the risk of contamination. Water supplies are exposed to poisonous minerals deposited in rocks. Lead, arsenic, and sodium can pollute water, especially when fracking is going on. Additionally, these harmful chemicals and minerals can be washed to nearby water sources during heavy rains.
Dangers of Contaminated Groundwater:
The decreasing quality of groundwater threatens all of us. Over the years, millions of people and animals who depend on groundwater resources have been exposed to harmful chemical concentrations and waterborne diseases. Unfortunately, many of us may not be aware how it silently affects our health and community. One of the most dangerous effects of consuming contaminated water is “Blue Baby Syndrome,” a type of birth defect caused by nitrate-rich water. Also, groundwater contaminated by Benzene can result in certain types of cancer.
Keeping Drinking Water Safe and Clean with an Everpure H300:
Drinking safe and clean water is essential to maintaining an optimal health and keeping waterborne illnesses at bay. Using a water filtration system is a cost-effective way to remove impurities and make tap water safer to drink. However, protecting our coworkers, customers, and families does not stop at providing safe water for drinking and preparing food. Did you know that the ice you put in your drink can contaminate your drink with scale buildup from dirt and dissolved minerals in your ice-making machine? Consider installing a water purification system that chills the water for you.
- Exclusive precoat filtration helps improve the water’s taste (and removes odor) by getting rid of chlorine and other offensive contaminants. It uses mechanical methods to filter dirt and particles as small as ½-microns in size.
- It’s NSF/ANSI Standard 53 certified which minimizes the risk of Cryptosporidium and Giardia by mechanical means.
- It protects your health by inhibiting bacterial growth using the Proprietary Micro-Pure® II filtration media.
- Replacing the sanitary cartridge is simple and quick. The risk of contamination is rare because internal filter parts are never exposed.
Features:
- Bacteriostatic
- Reduction in chlorine taste & odor
- Lowers the risk of cysts (Cryptosporidium and Giardia)
- Scale reduction
- Minimize the presence of particulates
Since 1993, Efilters has continually offered the finest Everpure products for residential and commercial applications. Please let us know how we may be of assistance. Please email us at info@efilters.net or hop on LiveChat so we can help you right now.
