15 Sep
Uncategorized

Usage of Water Resources By Human

Water has been used by humans for different purposes from the earliest civilizations to the modern world. Let us explore the different usage of water by humans as below:

Water for drinking and the disposal of wastes

Water helps human beings to complete their life cycles as water is one of the essential components of cells. Rivers, lakes, and ponds were the earliest sources of water for human consumption. Water was collected for drinking and cooking from these sources. Waste was then discharged by humans onto the local land to fertilize crops. Waste was also disposed of ponds and rivers to increase the production of fish. 

These ponds and rivers were located downstream from settlements. Villages got developed followed gradually by towns and then finally by cities when early humans abandoned nomadic, hunter-cum-gatherer life for a more settled existence. During this time hunting was supplemented by the growth of crops. 

Urban planning has existed for thousands of years. However, the consequences of pollution of drinking water supplies and of habitats have been witnessed only recently. Human populations, in different parts of the world, still encounter major problems with their water supply. The provision of clean water to communities has become a prime challenge throughout the World. There is an excess of water in certain parts of the world, while there is a shortage of water in certain other parts of the world.

Water for human transport

Humans have always used water as a means of transport. Early humans constructed rafts and simply-designed boats. These were then used to move on the surface of the water and thus migrate from one place to another. 

These were also used to carry cargo from one location to another. There was a need to explore and conquer new territories after the development of societies. Some migrations on water also happened over long distances. The development of towns and cities happened near rivers, coasts, or on lakeshores. 

Water transport was needed to conduct trade and also to bring in essential supplies, most of which were not available locally. This in turn led to trading and shipping routes of today. However, this is a slower method of transport. Large and heavy cargoes are still carried by sea transport even today. This will continue till the time we find a cheaper and much efficient alternative to fuel required for turbo planes.

Water as a source of providing human food

Water bodies contain prime and healthy sources of food for many settlements. Aquatic plants and animals (vertebrates/invertebrates) have been harvested for a very long time from water. They remain a staple diet of many human settlements. The growth of larger settlements and the development of transport links have led to the commercialization of food acquisition. 

This commercialization has led to over-exploitation of naturally available stocks through the development of marine/freshwater organism farming techniques to meet the demand requirements.

Water for irrigation of crops

Freshwater is required to irrigate terrestrial/emergent crop plants. This freshwater is drawn from lakes, rivers, containers, and impoundments of different kinds. Many rivers also provide fertile alluvium as a consequence of water levels dropping after seasonal flooding. In the case of farming of rice paddy crops, water irrigation schemes use channels and dikes to duct water to crops that are maintained underwater. 

Large-scale irrigation schemes make use of rivers to allow a more regular discharge of water. This development happened as a consequence of unpredictable water discharge due to nature’s wrath such as droughts, unpredictable pulses of water, and seasonal floods. 

This irrigation scheme provides the advantage of extending growing seasons as well as ensuring the steady production of crops. Water is of extreme significance in the deserts where rainfall is scanty, very low, or non-existent. Oases facilitate human colonization. Oasis also helps in providing watering holes for pack animals which are used in trade as well as migration.

Water for driving machinery or generating power

Moving water provides a prime source of energy that can be harnessed to drive machinery or to generate power.

During earlier times, mill streams were cut to divert some river water over a water wheel. This water wheel was used in power rotating mill wheels or other machinery. An upstream lake created by impoundment to ensure a near-constant head of water. This principle was developed for the purpose of power generation with the use of turbines. 

This process involved the damming of large rivers and passage of water through pipes to generators. This arrangement is with a considerable drop in vertical water level to ensure maximum power output. Some countries in the world are dependent on hydroelectric power generation for a significant amount of their power supplies. For most other countries this hydroelectric power source is secondary to power generation from burning fossil fuels or from nuclear reactions.

In some countries, the sea is also used for generating power. In such cases, tidal cycles or the action of waves is used for generating power. Currently, such technologies are very expensive to develop, produce, and maintain in contrast to the amount of power that gets generated through these sources.

Water for recreation purpose

Human beings always like to spend time near water. Seas, rivers, and large lakes are destinations of many holiday planners. Water sports such as paddling, surfing, swimming, snorkeling, boating, and fishing are many examples of aquatic recreations. Aquariums have been created across different parts of the world to showcase the life and beauty of marine and aquatic organisms. 

These aquariums serve the multiple purposes of – education and creation of interest in school-going children, awareness of various aquatic species across the world, and the need for conservation of such beautiful and rare aquatic lives.

In different parts of the word, Sportfishing has been found to be a major pastime for many people and anglers are found to be among the most acute observers of the aquatic world. Water theme parks have been built for the purpose of entertainment of children as well

15 Sep
Uncategorized

Seven Different Types of Water You Need

Water is one of the primary reasons for the survival of human beings and other living beings on this planet earth. The most important factor behind existence of life on earth is considered to be water next only to oxygen. Seventy percent of human body is made up of water.

Major quantity of this water is lost from the body though the production of urine and sweat. This is primarily the reason why doctors, physicians, medical experts and nutritionists emphasize upon the need for the human bodies to be hydrated at all times. This hydration is specified to be at least 3 to 4 litres of water to be consumed everyday by each and every individual depending on one’s body weight.

Water carries out the following important functions :

1. Helps in flushing bacteria out of the bladder

2. Helps in aiding digestion

3. Helps in carrying nutrients and oxygen to the cells

4. Helps in preventing constipation

5. Helps in maintaining the electrolyte (sodium) balance, etc.

Water has been having a strategic importance since centuries for humankind.  It is a tradition in India to always offer a glass of water to anyone who comes to the home. This can be a guest or a relative or a vendor or a member of the family returning home after a long day at the workplace. Water is a colourless and tasteless elixir of life which comes in many types. The following is a water guide for all those wondering the difference between sparkling water and regular mineral water varieties.  

Water can be distinguished into different types on the basis of its origin, consistency, composition and treatment. The different types of water that exist can be classified as follows:

1. Tap water

Tap water is the type of water that one can get directly flowing from the faucet. This water may or may not be suited for drinking purposes depending on the extent of purity and source of the water. This water can be widely used for different household chores such as cooking, gardening, cleaning, bathing and washing clothes. Apart from households, the tap water is also consumed by complexes run by the corporate, commercial, institutions and government for washroom facilities.

A vivid traveler across different countries, must realise the fact that tap water can be directly used for drinking in many countries whilst in some other countries, they cannot be consumed without boiling the water or filtration of water. The tap water should meet the standards and regulations set by the local Municipal corporations. 

2. Mineral Water

Mineral water is the type of water which naturally contains different types of minerals. This water is obtained directly from underground sources. This makes the water rich in various minerals such as calcium, magnesium and manganese. No further minerals can be added to the water. The water also cannot be subjected to any further treatment with the exception of limited treatments such as carbonation, iron removal or manganese removal, before packaging of the water.

The essential minerals make it safe enough to be branded as healthy drinking water. The component of mineral water may differ from one brand to another brand. Some of the brands may have more number of minerals in the water while other brands may have lesser number of minerals in the water. The presence of these minerals is the prime reason for the water to have a salty taste.  

3. Spring water

Spring water is the type of water that comes out from underground. In some places, rainwater accumulated underground tends to “leak” out at the surface such as a spring or a puddle. Natural springs do not pass through a community water system. 

4. Well water

Well water is the type of water that is stored underground. When rainfall happens, the water trickles down through the inner crevices of the soil, beneath the ground to form underground lakes. This normally happens over a long period of time. Water level in the wells depends on the quantum of rains in the monsoon season. Wells dry up due to the shortage of rains. One of the primary sources of water in rural areas is what is dug out from deep wells.

Access to the water in deep wells (when there was no electricity distribution) was manually done using buckets tied to long ropes and pulled up via a pulley to the surface. Currently there are motor driven pump sets that can bring groundwater to the surface and stored in overhead tanks from which people can consume the water in their households. 

5. Purified water

A purified water is the type of water which has undergone purification treatment in a water treatment plant after deriving from its source. In water purification, The act of purifying entails removing all bacteria, contaminants and dissolved solids making the water suitable for drinking as well as other purposes.

6. Distilled water: 

Distilled water is the type of water where the water has been subjected to a treatment that removes all its minerals as well as salt by the process of reverse osmosis as well as distillation. Another name for distilled water is demineralized water. This is an absolutely pure form of water. But this is not recommended for drinking purposes, since it can cause mineral deficiencies. This water is devoid of all salts as well as natural minerals as a result of this process. Drinking this water will cause a rapid loss of sodium, potassium, chloride, and magnesium in  the human body. 

7. Sparkling Water

Sparkling water is the type of water that has undergone a carbonation process. This carbonation process makes the water fizzy just like the soda water. Sparkling water can be produced by addition of carbon-di-oxide to spring water, purified water or mineral water.

04 Sep
Uncategorized

What Are Exactly Water Softener

It changes hard water into the alleged delicate water. Lessening its mineral substance does the change. Hard water chiefly contains calcium and magnesium metal, and now and again bicarbonates and sulfates. Delicate water, then again, is the sort of water with none or minimal substance of the referenced minerals.

A Process is utilized in diminishing the calcium, magnesium, and at times manganese and ferrous iron broke down in hard water. The truth of the matter is conditioner is a framework for changing synthetically hard water into a delicate water.

Conditioners supplant the calcium and magnesium substance in hard water by sodium. Sodium does not aggregate in channels and furthermore does not respond to cleanser. This implies hard water impacts are wiped out. The standard of the conditioner framework is straightforward. Hard water is permitted to enter the water conditioner. It contains a layer of plastic dots and in a few examples, the material utilized is called Zeolite. The layer of materials inside the water conditioner is splashed with sodium particles. Sodium is traded with the substance of the hard water, calcium, and magnesium. At the point when water leaves the conditioner, the water is said to be of the delicate water type.