Is freshwater scarcity a real threat?

Why is there concern about freshwater availability?

For a moment, pretend you're an alien who has just arrived at the third rock from the sun, say in Seattle, and observed us humans for an entire day. Might you believe that freshwater comes in bottles? Maybe.

The popularity of bottled water, for better or worse, lends more credibility to the perception of an overabundance of drinking water. As often happens, this perception may be very wrong according to studies and experts. But, why is this concern becoming more vocal and public?

First, consider a disturbing and current statistic. Experts estimate that freshwater contamination and improper sanitation result in around 30,000 human deaths per day currently. If these estimates are sound, even the volume and quality of current freshwater availability could pose a continuing planetary problem.

Unfortunately, the future is dimmer, not brighter, for the continued availability of sufficient freshwater for the needs of the global human population. The primary culprit is global warming. While there are serious arguments by scientific experts about the cause of global warming, the data strongly indicates it is happening, as it has at regular intervals throughout the history of the Earth.

There are radical, yet true examples of the effects of prior millennium global warming and cooling. For example, archeologists have found that some of the major salt deposits around the globe were caused by prior global warming events that caused increases in the salt content in the oceans and freshwater sources alike. As global warming increases and water evaporates, salt deposits remain.

As salinity increases in the world's oceans, much of the marine life eventually dies. Salt content increased levels in the freshwater supply, make it undrinkable for humans, and toxic for plants and other living things needing freshwater to exist.

We are all facing the possibility of another reoccurrence of this sad phenomenon. Many indicators point to diminishing freshwater supplies for the near future. Initially, drought and diversion of freshwater supplies may reduce freshwater availability. This causes the more shallow rivers and lakes to become polluted.

Mountain water runoff is used by up to 50% of the global population for drinking, irrigation, and energy. But, this water is generated by snow caps and glaciers. As the snow caps recede and glaciers melt, the mountain water sources dry up.

For example, just a few years ago, the Seattle-metro area faced this problem as the snow in the Cascade Mountains was way below normal in winter. With the legendary Seattle precipitation, most would believe a freshwater shortage would be unthinkable.

These are but some of the reasons there is global concern about freshwater scarcity in the future. Those parts of the world currently facing scarcity could face total unavailability . Areas that still enjoy sufficient clean freshwater supplies may face scarcity in the near future. For these reasons, water conservation is a necessity. Here are some tips to conserve freshwater supplies.

How to conserve freshwater

• Be sure your home is a "leak-free" zone. Because of the extensive plumbing in most homes, it's easy to have a leak that goes undetected for some time. Try to leak proof your home.
  
  
• Repair all dripping faucets. In most cases, a simple washer replacement can save you hundreds of gallons of water and many dollars annually.
  
  
• Don't continually run water while shaving or washing your face. Fill your basin and use the hot water already created to make yourself beautiful.
  
  
• Wash dishes and clothes only when the appliances are full.
  
  
• Store your drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running water for long periods every time you want a cold glass. You'll conserve water and always have some cool refreshment.
  
  
• Don't flush your toilet unnecessarily. Throw away tissues, assassinated insects, and other "stuff" in your trash.
  
  
• Don't put water you're waiting to cool or heat down the drain. Collect it for watering plants, garden irrigation, or other needs.
  
  
• Take shorter showers. Using an ultra-low-flow shower head, you'll enjoy invigorating water pressure while using less water.
  
  
• Install aerators with flow restrictors in all household faucets. You'll enjoy great water pressure while using much less freshwater.

Once thought to be a free, constantly renewable giver of life, freshwater risks becoming an endangered species in the future. Serious water conservation efforts help to, at a minimum, buy time for the scientific community to create methods to maximize what may become a diminishing natural resource.

Scarcity of freshwater has happened before in the history of our planet. Indicators point to it happening again in the not too distant future. Water conservation efforts now may deliver major benefits to our human population in the years to come.