Free «Water Shortage Issue» Essay Sample

Water has been treating as endless granted nature resource by humanity. But the climate changes and cities population’s increasing caused the water shortage in many countries. Rivers and estuaries need more water to be provided with and constantly growing planet’s population consumes more treasure liquid in the households needs. Moreover, primitive water infrastructure exacerbates the problem and requires determined and effective changes. Every day people use more water in the agriculture, industry and households sectors, what makes it dirty and wasted. There is still a lot of water in the world, but most of it is briny or polluted. Humanity does not think how to use it rationally and often treats it as its belonging. For example, in Melbroune 820 megalitres of water a day are piped out to sea as effluent discharge. Besides huge water amount on the planet, it is also the most used resource. The biggest fault of the water previous managing was not dividing it to the high and low quality liquid of different prices. The same water from the tab was used for drinking, cooking, washing and cleaning needs for a long time.    

Which Sector Uses The Most Water: Households, Industry, Mining or Agriculture?

Australian Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities informs that agriculture consumes 67% of water in Australia.  Pigs, poultry and eggs farming demand less water than beef and dairy cattle milk, but water is used in this sector not only for the animals feeding but also for the pasture growing. Households sector takes the second 10% position, but the number is increasing each year. On the contrary to agriculture, it makes more harm for the water pollution, instead of lower percentage. Electricity and gas supply industry use near 7 % of Australia’s water consumption, when mining and manufacturing need 6% of the year water average.  

Why do Australian cities, such as Perth face a shortage of scheme (municipal) water but not bottled water?

Australian cities have two main, reservoirs and underground, water resources and seawater desalination plants. Most of water for everyday use is supplied by the reservoirs, but during critical summer periods, when the water level in them is too low for the pump  to supply it,  the underground water is added. Both reservoirs and underground water are cleaned and disinfected before consuming, but underground water is more expensive. That is way one may taste different water from the one tab in Australia, it depends on the amount of the underground water. It is not sensibly to make the prices higher for the underground water  supplying, because its percentage in the hill’s water constantly differs. Australian underground water is carefully treated nowadays, such as  it is the most substation Australian future water supplies. To avoid misunderstanding the government tries to add less underground water to  the tab water, but sells it in the bottles, which are rather expensive. “The Choice Magazine” published about reasons of bottled water buying:” One does not like the smell, taste or look of his water tab and one lives in the tab water problem area and is advised to drink bottled water.” (Heath,2007).  In the quality comparison municipal and bottled water are the same. But government do not want to waste it and sells more expansive, on account of municipal water amount reducing.

Should The Price Of Water Be Increased?

Increasing water scarce demands effective decisions taking. One of the water valuing way is the higher prices making. Nowadays Australians pay 1-1,5 per a water kilolitre. Some of them appeals that it should be cheaper, because is given by the nature and is no one’s property. But increasing of water prices will lead to the people’s consciousness about how much water is used and for what; invest in water replacements programs; fund environmental protection activities. Farmers pay less for water, so it will not sound like being under the pressure for them, moreover they will be able to sell, buy or use recycled or unneeded water. When the water prices will correspond to the water qualities, cheaper garden water and more expensive high quality drinking water, it will not cause much deprecation, but will make water available and cared.