The world is currently experiencing a water source crisis. Unsafe or inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene cause approximately 3.2% of all deaths worldwide, and 3.7% of DALYs (disability adjusted life years) worldwide. Although the planet is surrounded by water, much of the water is not safe for consumption. Even the public water systems that are set up to provide residents with water are not as safe as expected. There are many factors that contribute to the water problem.
Lack of accurate water analysis parameters
Fortunately, the United States and other advanced countries have many water quality tests in place. When completed, these resistivity monitors and other forms of water quality analysis tests can show people exactly what is in their water source. This gives them the opportunity to use filters or to notify officials of poor water quality. Other countries, however, do not have the same access to accurate analysis of water quality parameters. Instead of using resistivity monitors and water conductivity monitors, they must simply rely on the water provided.
The inability to test for specific parameters
In addition to a lack of accurate water tests, some countries, as well as the United States, are not always able to test for specific parameters. While tests often look for elevated levels of lead, calcium, and other debris, other important tests include resistivity monitors and conductivity tests. Conductivity is a measure of the ability of water to pass an electrical current.
Conductivity in water is affected by the presence of inorganic dissolved solids, but not organic compounds do not conduct the electrical current as well. It can also be affected by temperatures, the warmer the water is, the higher the conductivity. For this reason, conductivity is measured as conductivity at 25 degrees Celsius. Many people are not aware of these types of tests and others, simply do not have access to them.
The extent of unhealthy water on the planet
Poor recycling practices and a lack of practicing environmental responsibility has contributed to the water crisis. Much of the water in the world is not only too contaminated to consume but is even unsafe for swimming or fishing. Approximately 44% of assessed stream miles, 64% of assessed lake acres, and 30% of assessed bay and estuarine square miles are not clean enough to support uses of fishing and swimming. It is a big task, if not impossible, to turn these extremely contaminated water sources into a source that can be consumed.
The need for improvement to water quality analysis methods
In addition to greater environmental responsibility for both consumers and corporations, there also needs to be an improvement to current water quality analysis methods. Tests need to be able to measure all water ingredients, including both resistivity monitors and conductivity measurements. Also, these tests need to be widely available, regardless of where a country is at technologically. Because the water supply on the planet affects the entire world, the advanced measures of one country need to be used on other water sources as well.
We are currently in a water crisis. There are third world countries that do not have access to any healthy drinking water. There are even cities in the United States that are struggling to get clean water. The world has not yet evolved enough to find ways to take inconsumable drinking water and turn it into a supply that can be used for any purpose, whether it is drinking, bathing, cooking, or even fishing.
