(image by eschooltoday.com) Written by Bethany Yaffe
Environmental Engineer
Well Water Global Board of Directors
October 23 was Imagine a Day Without Water. We discussed what one-third of the global population grapples with on a daily basis: lack of access to clean water. They do not have a faucet that spouts clean water. They do not have showers, toilets, or sinks. These people are helpless as sicknesses spreads through their families and their children die from preventable diseases due to a lack of clean water.
On November 4th we discussed Spring Protection Boxes that allow families to source water from natural artisan springs that are protected from contamination and are ensured to be a clean water source.
Today, we will discuss a topic that is near and dear to my heart. This is something I work on day in and day out, and I never tire of pondering on and problem solving: water infrastructure here in our own home, the United States.
Like you, most of my daily routines revolve around water: morning, noon, and night. Getting ready for work, enjoying my morning cup of tea or coffee, preparing and enjoying meals, and getting ready for bed, I depend on my faucet to deliver water - but not just any water - clean, disinfected water that I can use without a second thought. The only time most people think about this resource is when it is not delivered as we expect (my mind immediately goes to Flint, Michigan).
I work as an Environmental Engineer, designing water infrastructure projects and then watching as they are built. Water treatment plants, tanks, pump stations, pipelines - the heart and arteries of American water systems - collect surface and ground water, treat that water, and deliver it to homes ready to be used, at pressures high enough to take showers, flush toilets, and even fight fires.
What goes into this process, and where does your money go when you pay for the water you use? The answer to this question varies greatly across the Unites States, but one thing is consistent: From the desert Southwest, to the rain-soaked temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, to the American Heartland, we depend on water for our livelihoods. Water is essential not only for drinking and daily use, but for our food, computers, paper, clothing, cars, and the energy we use to power our lives. All of these things depend on the availability of clean water.
I am based in the Denver Metro Area, so I will focus on the water systems I know best. Here, snow melt is collected in mountain reservoirs, which then feeds our water treatment plants and distribution systems. Denver Water (the Utility that serves 1.4 million people in the Denver Metro Area) has put together a series of videos that highlight how water moves from the mountains to our homes (see the first installment below). This is a fun way to learn about how our water makes it to our faucets, as well as the people that make this service possible.
Environmental Engineer
Well Water Global Board of Directors
October 23 was Imagine a Day Without Water. We discussed what one-third of the global population grapples with on a daily basis: lack of access to clean water. They do not have a faucet that spouts clean water. They do not have showers, toilets, or sinks. These people are helpless as sicknesses spreads through their families and their children die from preventable diseases due to a lack of clean water.
On November 4th we discussed Spring Protection Boxes that allow families to source water from natural artisan springs that are protected from contamination and are ensured to be a clean water source.
Today, we will discuss a topic that is near and dear to my heart. This is something I work on day in and day out, and I never tire of pondering on and problem solving: water infrastructure here in our own home, the United States.
Like you, most of my daily routines revolve around water: morning, noon, and night. Getting ready for work, enjoying my morning cup of tea or coffee, preparing and enjoying meals, and getting ready for bed, I depend on my faucet to deliver water - but not just any water - clean, disinfected water that I can use without a second thought. The only time most people think about this resource is when it is not delivered as we expect (my mind immediately goes to Flint, Michigan).
I work as an Environmental Engineer, designing water infrastructure projects and then watching as they are built. Water treatment plants, tanks, pump stations, pipelines - the heart and arteries of American water systems - collect surface and ground water, treat that water, and deliver it to homes ready to be used, at pressures high enough to take showers, flush toilets, and even fight fires.
What goes into this process, and where does your money go when you pay for the water you use? The answer to this question varies greatly across the Unites States, but one thing is consistent: From the desert Southwest, to the rain-soaked temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, to the American Heartland, we depend on water for our livelihoods. Water is essential not only for drinking and daily use, but for our food, computers, paper, clothing, cars, and the energy we use to power our lives. All of these things depend on the availability of clean water.
I am based in the Denver Metro Area, so I will focus on the water systems I know best. Here, snow melt is collected in mountain reservoirs, which then feeds our water treatment plants and distribution systems. Denver Water (the Utility that serves 1.4 million people in the Denver Metro Area) has put together a series of videos that highlight how water moves from the mountains to our homes (see the first installment below). This is a fun way to learn about how our water makes it to our faucets, as well as the people that make this service possible.
Once the surface water moves from mountains to the reservoirs and finally to the water treatment plants, the millions of gallons of water undergo treatment. Traditional water treatment typically takes place in three steps that makes the water safe to drink by removing particles in the water and disinfecting it. We add additional treatment steps that can remove tastes and odors as needed (these do not cause health issues but can make the water unpleasant to drink). Finally, the water is delivered to homes through miles of disinfected water lines, tanks, and pump stations. All of this happens seamlessly so we can shower on the third floor of a building, or the local Fire Departments can use water at pressures and volumes high enough to fight fires. These systems take the combined efforts of hundreds and thousands of specially trained personnel and will cost roughly $1 trillion to expand and maintain in the next 25 years across the U.S.
We encourage you to take a look at these excellent videos put together by Denver Water. What a treasure clean water is to all people, even to those of us that often take it for granted. Also, a fun resource to check out is this interactive map put together by the USGS to see exactly where your water comes from. Clean water is the literal life source of all living things across the world. Isn't it great to hear from Bethany, who is using her education and her life to make clean water available to as many people as possible?
We encourage you to take a look at these excellent videos put together by Denver Water. What a treasure clean water is to all people, even to those of us that often take it for granted. Also, a fun resource to check out is this interactive map put together by the USGS to see exactly where your water comes from. Clean water is the literal life source of all living things across the world. Isn't it great to hear from Bethany, who is using her education and her life to make clean water available to as many people as possible?
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