The Friends of Waterbury Reservoir is committed to protecting and preserving the wildlife that shares this amazing resource with us. In recent years, we have noticed a lot of fishing line and tackle discarded carelessly at access areas, and in foliage along the shoreline. This material has the potential to cause injury or even death to our birds and aquatic mammals. This potential for harm became a reality in 2020 when a cormorant became entangled in discarded fishing line on the reservoir. The bird faced a slow and painful death by starvation, but our hero Ranger Chad Ummel managed to catch the bird and free it from its entanglements.
Visitors to the reservoir have been enthralled by our eagles, loons, herons, and more…each of which faces the same risks as the rescued cormorant. In Vermont, numerous loons have had to be rescued from fishing line in the past few years, and one recently was severely injured by a discarded lure. We looked for a way to prevent any bird or animal tragedies on the Waterbury Reservoir. We decided to take the approach of offering a safe and easy way for anglers to dispose of unwanted fishing line, and to institute a campaign emphasizing the dangers posed to wildlife by improperly discarded fishing line and tackle.
In other states, monofilament line recycling bins have been installed at popular fishing sites. BoatUS Foundation provides plans for such bins, as well as stickers and signage to be placed near their locations. (https://www.boatus.org/clean-boating/recycling/fishing-line-recycling/) FWR thought this might be a good project for us! We received approval from Vermont State Parks to install the bins at 3 locations, on a trial basis. We all had concerns about vandalism and improper use of the bins for trash disposal and agreed to check the bins a few times each week.…
Have you thought about purchasing and installing different types of water purifiers in your home? Many people find that they improve the quality of life around the house and allow them to make better use of their water supplies. As you continue to think about what water purifier to buy, ask these five questions. The answers will help you decide which water purifier is the best one.
Do I Need a Water Purifier? Why Water Purifiers are Important?
Some people believe that water filters andwater purifiers are not all that important. Water purifiers point toward the efforts made by the local municipality to supply water that is suitable for consumption. Without minimizing the efforts made by your local community, the fact is there is more to clean water than what happens at those huge purification stations.
Factors like the residue found in your home plumbing can also affect water quality. If you have a home water purifier, you can remove that residue and enjoy water that tastes better and is better for you.
Those who rely on water from wells or a local pond or lake should also consider installing some type of water purifiers. Regular checks of the water itself will reveal what sort of contaminants are present. That information will help you decide what water purifier is best for your need.
How are Water Purifiers Certified?
The Standards Council of Canada uses specific ANSI/NSF standards to certify best water purifier systems. There are six standards in all for water purifiers, with each one relating to softening, distilling, and purification treatments and systems. In order to certify specific devices, the Council has authorized three certification bodies: Underwriters Laboratories, NSF International, and CSA International. The latter is specifically authorized to issue certifications for drinking water treatment units related to health effects and aesthetic effects.
Remember that you only want to buy a water purifier that is properly certified. Anything lesser will not provide the benefits you want and is likely to not hold up well to ongoing use.
Will I Need to Take Mineral Supplements If I Use a Water Purifier?
There are those who believe it’s necessary to purchase and take mineral supplements if you install a water purifier and filter. The logic behind that belief has to do with how much mineral content is removed from the water. In fact, most people obtain most of the vitamins and minerals they need from food.
If you follow a balanced diet, the relatively small amount of healthy minerals removed from the water will make no difference. What will happen is that you will no longer consume other contaminants that may be interfering with your body’s ability to effectively absorb minerals from your food.…
Water is essential for life. But the quality of water that we consume every day is becoming dangerous for our health. To improve the quality of water for daily use, it is now mandatory to install water filters in our home. But people tend to make mistakes while buying a water filters in various aspects including purpose, flow rate and capacity.
Every filter works best on its own, but it is not necessary that it works best for your requirements too. Before buying a water filter you should go through a thorough analysis and research to get the best solution for your water filtration needs.
Water Filter Buying Guide: Things to Consider Before Buying Water Purifier
Test water quality of your supply
What type of source do you use for your daily usage? Most of the filtration requirements are defined by the source of water you use. The very first thing to do is test quality of water that is supplied to you. There are easy to use checkup kits available or you can even call an expert to do the job. You need to install a water filter only if your water source is contaminated. There are mainly two types of water sources:
Private or individual
Private source includes bottled water, spring water, and water from ponds, shallow wells, streams, ponds and river canals. Private sources also include individually created sources like rainwater harvesting, residential bores, cisterns.
Public
The United States safe drinking water act identifies public sources as the ones provided by public entities like local government supply, ration water tanks and city water systems.
If you get water from a private source like well and bottled water, then you can eliminate contamination from the source itself. But rivers, ponds, streams require a lot of expense and time to be cleaned. Natural private sources are not reliable in terms of quality. So, a water filter is required.
In case of public water sources, you can file a complaint against the water contamination and quality to the local authorities which may not be effective readily. If the water from a public source is contaminated, you need to get a water filter installed fit for your needs.
Check your home water system
If the water report and tests do not show any hazardous contamination in your water supply, then the problem may be in your house water system. Check for leakage in all faucets and pipelines going around your house. Make sure that the surroundings of your house are clean and there is no clogged drainage around your supply line. Metal water pipes slowly accumulate rust and other organic contaminants due to moisture. The pipes throughout the house should be cleaned quarterly to prevent organic growth and rust.
Understand your needs
Water filters eliminate only the specific contaminants that they mention in their labels. Be aware of what kind of contamination prevails in your water supply. Check the list of contaminants the water filter you want to buy eliminates. Analyze your daily consumption of water based on purpose like drinking, washing, bathing and cooking. If you need water purification for all your needs, whole house filters with Point of Entry system are the right fit. If the water purification is required only for drinking or bathing purpose, then point of use filters like RO filters, under sink filters and countertop water filters.
Explore the categories
With advancement in water filtration technology, there are many processes available today to purify water. There are many categories of water filters based on performance, durability, maintenance and cost which fit all types of water filtration solutions ranging from personal home to a commercial industry.
Maintenance cost
The maintenance cost of all filter categories varies highly. While many filters may come cheap in cost, the maintenance like replacement of cartridges and hoses is costly. So get detailed maintenance and repair costs of your water filter from the company before buying them.
Water filters are not a one-time investment. They need regular maintenance depending on the quality of the cartridges. Many companies provide features like quality index and security alarms for cartridges replacement which are beneficial. If the filters are regularly maintained the quality of water deteriorates, hoses may choke and power consumption increases.
Beware of scams
Do water filters actually work? Are you going to be scammed with an overrated device with false promises? Is doorstep water test trustable?
In case of any health related product, you should be aware of the scams that go around to stay alert and prevent getting scammed yourself. It highly depends on the company that you buy the water filter from. There are many companies that provide water filters at very low costs. They are mostly fake or ineffective. Water filtration is not a cheap process and any person who sells them at unbelievably low price is probably scamming you.
In recent news, many water filter scams have come into lime light. The worst of all was the door step sales and service scam to test your water quality and provide fake water filters. While there are many reputed companies that provide door step sales and service feature, they do not approach you without your solicitation.
Do you think that your water filter throws out more water than it purifies?
Then, you may be a victim of another scam. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) does not allow more than 30% of water to seep out from waste hose. But due to this scam being neglected, almost 3 liters of water seeps out to provide 1 liter of pure water.
Buy only certified water filters
The reviews not only help in finding a water filter company that is legitimate, they also help you find the right one for your requirements. Customer feedback is one of the best ways to find a good water filter company both for the product quality and performance and the post sales services and warranty.
We need water to survive. Humans are made up of 70% water, which is bound in our cell membranes. Water is more important than food – we can go up to a month without food, but can only survive a week without water. Making it all the more crucial that we drink clean and pure water. If water is not treated, filtered or purified, it can make you sick. Nowadays, we have advanced water technology, such as water filters and water filtration systems. Filtered tap water is better than standard tap water and bottled water. Let’s take a look at the benefits of water filtration and using water filters.
Filtering Tap Water Is Cost Effective:
Using water filters to filter tap water is much cheaper than buying bottled water, which is also not eco-friendly, due to the bottles’ plastic production. Funnily enough, most bottled water actually comes from tap water, so you are really just paying for the plastic. Through purchasing a professional water filter, you will be saving yourself lots of money and you will be drinking higher quality water that has been filtered accordingly.
Water Filtration Has Massive Environmental Benefits:
Bottled water is a source of pollution, as it takes the plastic bottle 300 years to degrade and a ton of water is wasted due to it taking 3 times as much water to produce the bottle itself than it does to fill the bottle. By filtering tap water at your home or business, you will be helping the environment. Take a look at European Watercare’s eco-friendly water filters with insert refill technology to see just what sustainable water filters can do to help the environment.
Water Impurities Are Removed By Filtration:
Water filtration removes water impurities and dangerous contaminants such as chlorine, disinfection byproducts and heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and arsenic. At the same time, water filters cleverly ensure that important minerals such as magnesium, fluoride, calcium, and zinc are retained. They protect you from toxins and ensure that you consume healthy minerals. Water filters also prevent limescale.
Filtered Water Tastes And Smells Better:
Filtering water also helps it to taste and smell better due to the impurities being removed. A more refreshing and enhanced flavour is derived, resulting in a higher sense of satisfaction after drinking filtered water. Tap water tends to taste and smell like chlorine, whereas distilled water has most of the minerals removed and so it will taste very bland. Filtered water removes contaminants, but leaves in the minerals that make water taste good.
Water Filtration Boosts Your Health:
Water filtration systems are good for your health. The benefits are ten-fold, with skin hydration, nutrient absorption, weight loss, detoxification, digestion and a reduction in the risk of cancer. Drinking pure water helps to support the immune system and mental health function.
Water Filters Are Low Maintenance:
Water filters are convenient and easy to use. Water filtration products are durable, portable, easy to change for quick filtration and are low maintenance.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of benefits for water filters. Tap water filtration comes with convenience, health, environmental, financial and flavour benefits, so why not purchase a water filter from European Watercare for your business? We have a water filtration options to suit a wide range of business sectors. If you have a water filtration system installed at your business, share with us the benefits you have experienced, our readers love to learn from real experiences.…
In our previous articles about water conservation and the limited supplies of fresh water we have, it was clear that water is one of our most precious resources. Considering that every single person on the planet needs water to survive, it seems strange that many of us would have no problem leaving the tap water running but we would go to war if someone tried to steal our oil supply. While learning about electric vehicles and saving some money on home energy is important, take a moment and get back to basics. For the sake of your family and the survival of our future generations, explore these 5 reasons why conserving water is important to you.
The Importance of Water Conservation
Reason #1: Without fresh water you will die in just a few days. Plain and simple, no sugar coating, it is a simple morbid fact that helps drive the point across, water equals life. Most of us learn this along the way, so why are you complacent when you see fertilizers, oil and other pollutants pour into rivers and streams each time it rains? Would you eat a fish with some weed killer marinade, or drink water with a nice motor oil sheen on top?
Reason #2: Using less water keeps money in your pocket. By utilizing basic water conservation techniques you are able to save thousands of gallons of water each year. You do the math, use less water and the water company charges you less money. That sounds like a good deal all around.
Reason #3: Protecting our natural eco-systems from further damage is critical, especially for the survival of some endangered species. The oceans, streams and lakes that are the lifeblood of so many local eco-systems are used as dumping grounds, hurting everything that relies on these water sources. The great pacific garbage patch is a great example of the worst side of our wasteful practices.
Reason #4: Conserving water can also save energy. In order to pump the water from a central facility into your home or office, energy is required to run that equipment. For example, studies have shown that in California alone, 6.5 percent of all energy consumed goes towards moving water from one place to another. So saving water means using less energy which reduces your carbon footprint and helps the country become more energy independent.
Reason #5: For our friends in Florida and other areas prone to sinkholes, water conservation can actually reduce the occurrence of sinkholes. When the natural aquifers run low, it leaves a gap where water once was. Simple gravity pushes the ground downward since there is now a void and voila, you have a sinkhole.
Do More With Less
Using simple water conservation techniques can help cut your water usage by more than half. If you commit just a little extra effort each day you alone can make a difference. Whether you try your hand at friendsofwaterburyreservoir.org or just use a low flow shower head you can see reduced water bills within the first month. Do the planet and our future generations a favor, conserve water and stay thirsty for more savings every day.…
Water is probably the most important substance for preserving life. In fact, scientists looking for evidence of life on other planets regard the presence of water as a vital clue. In developed nations we tend to take water for granted because it flows easily out of the tap. But we are rapidly depleting the global supply of fresh water, and this reality could potentially have dire consequences.
The Importance of Water
Our bodies need water to function properly. According to Water.org, humans can survive for weeks without food, but for only a few days without water. The plants and animals we eat require water as well, so water crises inevitably become food crises. We also use water for cleaning our bodies and our homes, and for producing power such as in hydroelectric dams. The World Water Council reports that the human population of the planet is on track to grow 40 to 50 percent within the next 50 years, putting additional pressure on our already shrinking supply of fresh water.
Vegetables, Meat and Water
Plants require water to grow. A growing human population consumes an increasing amount of food, which requires additional water. The animals that we eat consume water, and they also eat grains and grass that require water. Raising meat uses considerably more water than raising plant foods. As populations in different parts of the world become more affluent, they eat more meat and fewer plant-based foods. This shift places an added strain on the already short supply of fresh water.
Water and Global Warming
A hotter planet means an increased demand for water. Heat causes water to evaporate more quickly. Even if higher temperatures do not necessarily correlate with decreased rainfall, more of the water that does fall evaporates into the atmosphere rather than providing sustenance for crops. Hotter temperatures also diminish the amount of water available in lakes and rivers. Conserving water enables us to use our existing supply of water more efficiently.
Rarity of Fresh Water
According to Water.org, less than 1 percent of the water on the earth is readily available for human use, that is, it is fresh–rather than salty–and reasonably clean. Salt can be removed from the ample sea water through a process called desalinization, but this process is expensive enough that it is rarely used as an ongoing, practical solution for water scarcity issues. Water conservation is a straightforward, common sense way to make the most of the fresh water that we do have.
Water and Social Justice
The availability of fresh water is an important social justice issue, and this becomes increasingly the case as fresh water supplies become more scarce. Many fresh water sources in underdeveloped countries are polluted. These nations have also been disproportionately hard hit by climate change, in part because they lack sufficient resources to spread the word about the importance of preserving the vitality of the soil and preventing erosion. As a result, many of these regions are growing more arid, more urgently in need of fresh water. Conserving water in more prosperous places does not necessarily make it more available in the areas that need it most, but it does help to raise our level of awareness about the importance and increasing scarcity of fresh water.…
Water is a simple liquid that is of great importance for human life and sustenance. Water is a very large part of our lives. In fact, 57% to 75% of our body is made out of the liquid. Water is very important for everyone living in this world, and to imagine life without water is impossible. There are about 1.4 billion people who don’t have access to clean drinking water, in the world of 6.8 billion people, 20.59% don’t have clean drinking water. Obviously, water is a huge part of our daily lives and without it, you cannot live. Our daily activities are so much dependent on water that we cannot even live without water for a single day. We use water for many purposes such as drinking, washing, bathing, cleaning and agricultural purposes. Water is essential for life and it is very important to save water.
It is simply impossible to imagine human life without water, if there are no ample sources of water left then it would be a matter of great concern. Without water the will be no harvesting, no drinking water, no washing, cleaning and cooking as well. Hence it is very important to use our present water sources judiciously and try to save as much water as possible. It is very important to realize water conservation benefits and also to implement those in our day to day life. Water conservation encompasses the policies, strategies and activities to manage fresh water as a sustainable resource, and efforts to protect the water environment while maintaining a balance between current and future human demand. Population, household size and growth and affluence all affect how much water is used. Factors such as climate change will increase pressures on natural water resources, especially in manufacturing and agricultural irrigation. It is very important to realize the need for water conservation in the community as well as personal level.
Over the past few years a rapid growth in populations, modernization, growing industrialization, and expanding agriculture has pushed up the demand for water in the urban as well as rural areas. Human demands are increasing day by day but the natural resources are in a limited quantity. Efforts have been made to collect water by building dams and reservoirs, practicing rainwater harvesting, digging wells; some countries have also tried to recycle and desalinate salty water to make it fit for drinking or washing. Water conservation has become a major need of the hour. The idea of groundwater recharging by harvesting rainwater is gaining importance in many parts of the world and has been practiced successfully in many parts of the world.
Needs and Importance of Water Conservation
Water is an essential part of human life and plays a major role in human sustenance. We use water for drinking purpose, cooking, washing, for producing electricity, for farming, for industrial purpose and many other purposes that support the human lifestyle. Earth is about 70% water, but there is only a small amount of groundwater source that is fit for drinking and cooking purpose. Ninety – seven per cent of all the water on the earth is salt water which is not suitable for drinking. Only three per cent of all the water is fresh water, and only one per cent is available for drinking water. The other two per cent is locked in ice caps and glaciers. About 70% of the water source that is from the sea and oceans the major part contains saline water that is the salt level of this water is so high that it cannot be used for drinking purpose and purification process for this water is really high. Our water supply is finite, which means that we do not have an endless supply.
We only have the water that we have now. The adult human uses on average about 100 gallons of water a day which may seem to be a small figure but with the rising population and depleting water sources there is a fear that one day there will not be enough water sources available to meet even drinking demands. Seawater that is highly salty as a result is not fit for human consumption and not even for industrial purpose or for producing electricity. Since this water contains a high amount of salts, therefore, using this water in industries and for producing electricity leads to salt deposition on the machinery and this at times can get really dangerous and lead to some major industrial disasters. Hence sea water is of no major use for humans.
As we discussed earlier that water resources are finite and there is only 3% of freshwater sources, with all the people on Earth relying on such a small percentage of all the water on Earth, it only makes sense that we must preserve and conserve our water for our own survival otherwise a day will come when all the water sources will be extinguished. Besides conserving water it is also important that we must not pollute our water sources because it is the only water we will ever have. There are a lot of people who do not realize the importance of water, and they are continually wasting and polluting it. Only about ten per cent of wastewater is disposed of properly.
It is a high time that we must start saving water today so that it will be available to us in the future. We need to think of future generations, if we go on wasting our water resources recklessly then it is obvious that in future we will not have a sufficient supply of water unless we become more concerned with how we use our water today. There are many things that we can do to help preserve water. These are not things that are hard. All it takes is a little bit of extra effort, and soon it will be second nature. Save the water, that’s all we can do.
If we all do our part in conserving precious water supplies, we can make a huge difference for the environment.
The average person uses around 140 litres of water a day. But huge water deficits are on track to occur by the 2080s – so we need to start cutting down.
Water conservation means using water wisely and not contributing to unnecessary wastage.
Top reasons to conserve water:
Conserving water saves energy. Energy is needed to filter, heat and pump water to your home, so reducing your water use also reduces your carbon footprint.
Using less water keeps more in our ecosystems and helps to keep wetland habitats topped up for animals like otters, water voles, herons and fish. This is especially important during drought periods and in areas like South East England where there is a big demand on water supplies.
Conserving water can save you money. If you have a water meter then the less water you use, the less you may be charged by your water company.
Waiting for the tap to run cold can waste 10 litres of tap water a day!
Save water in the kitchen
Put a large bottle of tap water in the fridge to save waiting for the tap to run cold. Waiting for the tap to run cold can waste 10 litres of water a day!
Only fill the kettle with the amount of water needed.
Put lids on saucepans to reduce the amount of water lost during heating.
Put your dishwasher and washing machine on with full loads and on an eco-setting wherever possible.
Use a washing-up bowl in your sink to reduce the volume of water you use to fill the area.
Save water in the bathroom:
Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth. A running tap can waste more than 6 litres of water a minute!
Purchase a water-efficient toilet (one with a dual flush) or go by the old saying ‘if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down!’
Get a cistern displacement device to save up to 5,000 litres of water every year. They are free from most water companies.
Shower instead of bathe. An average bath uses around 80 litres of water, but a shower typically uses between 6 and 45 litres.
Install water-efficient taps and showers to minimise heating water – this will save you money on your water and energy bills, as well as decreasing your carbon footprint.
Fix a dripping tap. A dripping tap can waste 15 litres of water a day!
Save water in the garden:
Sprinklers can use as much as 1,000 litres of water an hour! In truth, it’s okay for the lawn to go brown, it will recover the next time it rains.
Use a water butt to catch large amounts of rainwater and use this to water your plants, clean your car and wash your windows.
Use mulch and bark in your garden, it will help to reduce evaporation by up to 75%.
Plant drought-resistant plants that don’t require as much watering.
The era of widespread construction of large dams for the most part ended in the 1960s and ‘70s. But recently, proposals for new dams have emerged, mostly in the name of improving water supplies strained by urban growth, a desire to irrigate more cropland, or adapting to expected changes in precipitation patterns accompanying climate change.
These new dam proposals don’t have to signal a new dam building era – in the vast majority of cases, water supply alternatives, such as water efficiency and conservation, will prove less costly for taxpayers, rivers, and communities as a whole.
So You’ve Decided to Fight a Dam Proposal…
The era of widespread construction of large dams, for the most part, ended in the 1960s and ‘70s. Or so we thought. Recently, numerous proposals for new dams have emerged, mostly in the name of improving water supplies strained by urban growth, a desire to irrigate more cropland, or adapting to predicted` changes in precipitation patterns accompanying climate change. But new dam proposals don’t have to signal a new dam building era – in the vast majority of cases, water supply alternatives, such as water efficiency and conservation, will prove less costly for taxpayers, rivers, and communities as a whole.
Different Dams, Same Problems
Not all new dam proposals involve traditional dams blocking major rivers – many would dam side canyons or tributary creeks, relying on pumps from a larger river to store water for times of year (typically summer) when more water is desired. These off-channel dams share many of the environmental drawbacks associated with traditional dams: they may block fish migration, harm water quality and temperature, flood valuable riparian and terrestrial wildlife habitat, strain a river basin’s overall water budget, and reduce or alter river flows. And like traditional dams, off-channel dams can cost billions of taxpayer dollars to construct. Off-channel dams can also use a lot of electricity as water usually needs to be pumped uphill to fill their reservoirs. In dry years, the water needed to fill a reservoir may not be available, and if there is water available, much of it will evaporate (an increasingly serious issue as summers grow hotter).
That said, there may be cases where a new off-channel dam makes sense, and could actually help improve seasonal flows for fish and recreation in a nearby river. More often than not, however, the environmental and economic costs of a new dam – whether on- or off-channel – will outweigh any benefits. That’s why the potential of demand reduction strategies and alternative sources of water supply must be thoroughly analyzed and, if there is potential to meet demand, implemented before a new dam proposal receives serious consideration.
So Many Dam Alternatives
Dams are hardly the only way to meet the demand for water, whether it’s new demand due to population growth or to adjust to altered precipitation or runoff patterns resulting from climate change.
The first step in fighting a new dam is to insist that a reasonable assessment of demand for water is made available. Without knowledge of how much water is needed, discussion of tools to meet demand is premature. Any credible demand assessment should assume future implementation of significant conservation and efficiency measures (for more on how to define demand, link to demand fact sheet).
Once demand is nailed down, communities should seek a thorough assessment of supply options to meet that demand.
Water efficiency = Water Supply
Water efficiency and conservation are the simple, proven, cost-effective, and immediate ways to secure new supply and should always be the first options examined. In the Southeast, on average water efficiency costs $0.46 – $250 per 1000 gallons saved while dams cost $4,000 per 1000 gallons. Communities can also avoid or defer significant infrastructure costs through investing a fraction of the money in water efficiency measures as Seattle did when, in the late 1980s it started investing in water efficiency as water supply and avoided $100 million in long-term water supply costs by investing $30 million in water efficiency. (for more on water efficiency, see American Rivers’ Hidden Reservoir report at www.AmericanRivers.org/WaterEfficiencyReport).
Other supply options may also include:
Reuse: Also known as water recycling or reclamation, water reuse refers to the use of treated sewage, graywater, or stormwater for non-potable purposes such as irrigation, industrial processes, fire protection, and toilet flushing, among others. There can be drawbacks to water reuse, environmentally and financially, which include costs associated with a municipal scale dual distribution system, and water that would have otherwise returned to the source river/water body once treated is now designated for a consumptive use, in the case of irrigation, that will not return to the river and may result in decreased flows.
Groundwater recharge: This involves recharging underground water sources during a wet year or a season (often winter) when water is available. Drawbacks of this option can include stormwater infiltration, costs associated with pumping and piping infrastructure, and the effect on instream flows when water is pumped from a river. Also, this is not an option everywhere: many areas have underlying geology that makes aquifer storage infeasible.
Re-operation of existing dams: Changing the way an existing dam is used is typically cheaper and less environmentally harmful than building a new dam, and in some cases re-operating a dam can provide water for cities, farms, and fish during critical times of year without major environmental, energy-production, or flood protection drawbacks.
Water markets: In the western U.S., systems that allow for the buying and selling of water rights can, along with conservation and efficiency, help extend the ability of existing water supplies to meet challenges presented by growth and climate change.
In most cases, these water supply tools, whether alone or in combination, will prove far less expensive than building a new dam. These tools also tend to be more flexible than surface storage dams when it comes to adapting water supply systems to a changing climate. For instance, unlike traditional surface storage solutions, conservation, efficiency, …
Global declines in water storage are increasingly troubling. With greater hydrological variability due to climate change, more storage will be vital to provide the same level of security of water, food, and energy. Water storage is fundamental protection from the impacts of a changing climate, safeguarding the supply of water, and the water–food–energy nexus, even during extended drought.
For thousands of years, dams have stored water to irrigate crops, control flooding, and more recently to supply water for industrial and household use, and generate hydroelectric power – contributing enormously to food security, human development, and economic growth.
These days, many dams serve more than one function but remain the primary mechanism for coping with the variability of water supply and demand. During the last century, more than 45,000 dams higher than 15 m have been constructed worldwide, creating a combined storage capacity estimated to be between 6,700 and 8,000 km3, representing 17 percent of global annual runoff.
Security of water, food, and energy are inextricably linked. For example, approximately 50 percent of all large dams worldwide are used for irrigation. Without sufficient water storage, irrigated agriculture (the largest user of water at the global level, contributing 40 percent of the world’s food) is at the mercy of changing patterns of rainfall and runoff.
Understanding water storage issues is essential for successfully managing water resources. At the simplest level, it is a matter of ‘inflow (water supply) less outflow (water demand) equals the change in storage’. But it is particularly important to understand whether storage declines relate to reducing supply, increasing demand, or both. The answer is both and more.
Key factors influencing storage are greater variability of inflows due to climate change, increased demand due to population growth, reduced net storage due to sedimentation, and less dam construction occurring worldwide due to environmental and social impacts.
Climate change
The effects of climate change are predicted to increase and to result in greater magnitude and frequency of hydrological extremes, such as prolonged droughts and significant floods. With the prolonged drought, inflows to storages will reduce. If demand remains the same, stress on existing water storage will increase.
In a 2015 report, the Climate Council of Australia stated that Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth, with some of the world’s most variable rainfall and stream-flow. The country has been deeply affected by drought throughout its history, with the most recent being the ‘Big Dry’ of 1996–2010 (also called the Millennium Drought) which went down in history as one of the worst droughts on record for Australia, with devastating impacts.
This prolonged drought ended in some areas of Australia with major flooding. In the state of Queensland, flooding began in December 2010 and continued into 2011 with at least 90 towns and over 200,000 people affected. The final damage was estimated to be USD 2.38 billion.
Storage can help protect communities from the impacts of these extreme events.
Population growth
It is estimated that in 2017 Earth supports around 7.5 billion people, yet 200 years ago the number was less than 1 billion. Population and water demand are strongly linked. With our world population increasing at around 80 million people per year, rising demands for basic services and growing desires for higher living standards will intensify the demand for water and put additional strain on existing storage.
Sedimentation
Many of the larger reservoirs worldwide have had their lifespans reduced significantly due to deposits of sediment within the storages, diminishing net storage in many regions of the world.
A number of these reservoirs were designed for 50-65 years of functionality until sediments would reduce their operational capacity. Although in these cases the reduction in storage was expected, it still results in a reduction in total storage, and therefore requires a response.
Globally, the annual rates of loss relative to installed storage capacity are generally estimated to range between 0.5 and 1.0 percent, equating to a total worldwide loss of storage of around 40 to 80 km3 per year.
Reduced dam construction
Installation of large reservoirs peaked during the 1960s and 1970s, both in number and storage volume. However, some of these larger reservoirs caused significant environmental and social damage, bringing dam construction under great scrutiny and ultimately decreasing dam construction worldwide.
With less dam construction, some decommissioning of older dams, and loss of storage due to sedimentation, net storage worldwide is falling, most dramatically in storage per capita. Such reduction in storage is likely to undermine the reliability of supply.
Few kinds of development projects arouse as much controversy as dams. However, large dams vary considerably in their environmental and social impacts. The severity of environmental impact is largely determined by the dam site. While dams at good sites can be very defensible from an environmental standpoint, those proposed at bad sites will be inherently problematic even if all feasible mitigation measures are properly implemented. The challenge is to find good dam sites to enable these necessary water storage to be developed.
It is important to note that the 2000 World Commission on Dams Report marked a new focus on sustainability in the development of dam engineering projects, requiring the participation of affected communities in the project planning phase.
How can we take action?
Good site selection is the most effective environmental mitigation measure.”
The following actions form a useful response to reduced worldwide storage and the pressing need to increase water storage to maintain reliable water supply, irrigation, and energy systems in a changing climate:
Prioritise managing existing storages well, and recognise the importance of storages for maintaining reliable supply. Appropriately manage sedimentation and its impact. Employ near-real-time management of water based on improved information systems to ensure the best economic use of existing reservoirs
Explore opportunities to increase the storage capacity of existing reservoirs by raising dams. Often, this can be more cost-effective and have lower environmental impacts than a new dam project. It may also be possible to improve the use of existing storages by providing greater interconnection between
