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Is there really any "clean" water left on this
planet ?
In four years of study at the University we learned (in addition to many other things) that even the most remote place on the surface of this planet has been contaminated by the activities of human civilization. Chemicals we have produced that are not part of the environmental system of our planet that supports human life are now everywhere on the surface of this place we call earth. Heavy metals like mercury, and lead are just about everywhere particularly in water. . . and they are very difficult to remove. Poly vinyl chlorides (chlorine based compounds), nitrites and nitrates (from inorganic fertilizers) are some of the most common. For example when people in China take apart old computers and burn them to extract the gold in the chips, the deadly poison gases created from burning the computer boards and plastics go into the atmosphere (and, incidently, into the people, often young children doing this deadly work) and drift, along with far more massive amounts of airborne industrial pollutants, on the high altitude winds to the western US. If this pollution is in the air where rain clouds form, the rain that falls will contain some of the poisonous chemicals in the pollution.
In four years of study at the University we learned (in addition to many other things) that even the most remote place on the surface of this planet has been contaminated by the activities of human civilization. Chemicals we have produced that are not part of the environmental system of our planet that supports human life are now everywhere on the surface of this place we call earth. Heavy metals like mercury, and lead are just about everywhere particularly in water. . . and they are very difficult to remove. Poly vinyl chlorides (chlorine based compounds), nitrites and nitrates (from inorganic fertilizers) are some of the most common. For example when people in China take apart old computers and burn them to extract the gold in the chips, the deadly poison gases created from burning the computer boards and plastics go into the atmosphere (and, incidently, into the people, often young children doing this deadly work) and drift, along with far more massive amounts of airborne industrial pollutants, on the high altitude winds to the western US. If this pollution is in the air where rain clouds form, the rain that falls will contain some of the poisonous chemicals in the pollution.
Only deep drilled water wells provide access the purest drinking water that can be found on the earth. These purest water sources will soon be gone,
in part because they are being used in an unsustainable way and partly because many are being polluted by mining operations and landfills.
The use of the Ogallala Aquifer is an example of
unsustainable usage. In many areas more water is pumped out of it than goes back in. Actually in the "North Plains Groundwater
Conservation District" the level is dropping by 1.74 feet per year. At present
levels of pumping if there were 100 feet of water in that aquifer, then in about 58 years it would all be gone. If the rate doubles the
water would only last 29 years. That would mean no water to grow corn, wheat or barley and no grain to feed cattle. Big problem.
Now, why build a filter to "purify" rainwater runoff from a roof? Consider this:
Ninety nine percent of the bacteria that are in surface water (or water from a roof) can be adequately removed or inactivated by a slow sand filter. In conjunction with a first flush diverter, which removes most of the chemicals from roof water, a slow sand filter can produce very clean water. By collecting rainwater, purifying it, and storing it, you are helping to minimize the amount of runoff that often overwhelms the public surface water collection systems in urban areas, and if you use this water from your filter system to water your lawn, vegetable garden, or flower gardens you are helping to conserve water in the public water system that would otherwise be used for that non-human consumption purpose, and by having the water cleaned, if someone accidently ingests some of it they will not get sick. The non-bacterial and non-viral stuff that is in rain will fall on all of the stuff you eat. If you eat, and are alive, you have already ingested pollutants found in the rain that bio-accumulate in food and are present in rain water. Also, many of the water supply sources in this country come from surface water which does not come from deep wells, it comes from rain. The question is how much of this stuff is too much? We don't know all there is to know about that problem, but there are scientists working on solutions. In the mean time, using rain water is not really any more dangerous than eating. . . but in the future if we do not get a handle on pollution, it probably will be.
Here is a list of some of the pollutants that have found their way into our environment (in forms and concentrations that were not part of the earth's system before mankind began polluting) and as a result into the water supply:
Now, why build a filter to "purify" rainwater runoff from a roof? Consider this:
Ninety nine percent of the bacteria that are in surface water (or water from a roof) can be adequately removed or inactivated by a slow sand filter. In conjunction with a first flush diverter, which removes most of the chemicals from roof water, a slow sand filter can produce very clean water. By collecting rainwater, purifying it, and storing it, you are helping to minimize the amount of runoff that often overwhelms the public surface water collection systems in urban areas, and if you use this water from your filter system to water your lawn, vegetable garden, or flower gardens you are helping to conserve water in the public water system that would otherwise be used for that non-human consumption purpose, and by having the water cleaned, if someone accidently ingests some of it they will not get sick. The non-bacterial and non-viral stuff that is in rain will fall on all of the stuff you eat. If you eat, and are alive, you have already ingested pollutants found in the rain that bio-accumulate in food and are present in rain water. Also, many of the water supply sources in this country come from surface water which does not come from deep wells, it comes from rain. The question is how much of this stuff is too much? We don't know all there is to know about that problem, but there are scientists working on solutions. In the mean time, using rain water is not really any more dangerous than eating. . . but in the future if we do not get a handle on pollution, it probably will be.
Here is a list of some of the pollutants that have found their way into our environment (in forms and concentrations that were not part of the earth's system before mankind began polluting) and as a result into the water supply:
Arsenic Cadmium Chromium Copper Molydbenum Nickel Selenium Zinc Ammonia (NH3) Nitrate (NOX) Kjeldahl Nitrogen Organic Nitrogen Inorganic Nitrogen Formaldehyde Acetic Acid Formic Acid Butyric Acid Propionic Acid Isobutyric Acid Sulfides Sulfates Sulfites Phosphorus Petroleum Hydrocarbons Phosphorus Radium Bromides Chlorides Fluorides Cyanide Silver Aluminum Boron Barium Calcium Cadmium Cobalt Iron Potassium Lithium Magnesium Manganese Sodium Selenium Tin Strontium Titanium Vanadium Yttrium Graphite Antimony Arsenic Beryllium Cadmium Chromium Nickel Selenium Silver Thallium These are the most common pollutants in water. Tests for these in drinking water are required by most counties. Why, you might ask? Because they are already known to cause serious health problems to people and they are common in the environment and in the water supply. Aluminum Antimony Arsenic Barium Beryllium Cadmium Calcium Chromium Copper Iron Lead Magnesium Manganese Mercury Nickel Selenium Silver Sodium Thallium Zinc Chloride Cyanide Fluoride Nitrates Nitrites Sulfates
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