The impact of waste water treatment on the future of our blue planet

We live on a planet comprised of 70 per cent water and yet as of 2011, 768 million people lacked access to proper drinking water according to the United Nations. Water is a contentious issue both in and outside of the developing world. Rising populations the world over mean access to water is being strained in every country, which is why effective screening and sewage treatment has never been more important.

The impact of water on human life
Without water, there is no life. Pushing aside the fact that we are dependent on water for everything from cooking to sanitation, our bodies are comprised of no less than 60 per cent water. After oxygen it is the body's most vital nutrient and it is a fundamental element of the processes that keep us alive. There is a constant need to replenish the water we lose through natural processes like sweating, urination and breathing in order to stave of dehydration; without water it is estimated that the average, healthy human won't live more than three to five days.

Three quarters of Earth's water is undrinkable
On the surface, the idea of a water shortage seems laughable; our oceans, lakes and rivers are bursting with around 326 million trillion gallons, but of this only 0.75 per cent is drinkable. Three quarters of the Earth's water supply is salt water, undrinkable for humans, and of the 25 per cent remaining the majority is completely frozen or hidden underground, leaving only a comparatively minimal amount of water safe for human consumption.

In the developed world we have the luxury of seeing water in simple terms, freshwater is drinkable, saltwater is not. In the world's poorest countries freshwater doesn't go through a rigorous screening and separation process, it quenches the thirst of the drinker while at the same time exposing them to the countless lethal organisms and bacteria that are responsible for taking the lives of around 5,000 children per day.

With climate change threatening to lower our water supply and an ever increasing population constantly demanding more, it's clear something needs to be done.

Creating water from waste
More than gold, silver, diamonds, and platinum, water is our most valuable resource and something that needs to be looked after, treated and cleaned. The EU's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive was adopted in 1991 in an effort to treat our rain, domestic and industrial waste water (water that has been contaminated with waste) to both protect the environment and the animals, plants and people who rely on it.

Untreated waste water can have a catastrophic impact on an ecosystem through oxygen depletion, biodegradation of organic material, water-borne pathogens and sewage. The purpose of the Directive is to safeguard our environment through continued research and implementation of waste water screening and separation techniques that currently can remove products as miniscule as 0.75 microns from our water sources.

There is currently a wide variety of types of water treatment that can be used to remove harmful materials in order to ensure it can be both safely consumed and returned to the environment. Companies like Environmental Screening and Separation specialise in the separation of both solid and liquid waste from water through their innovative equipment, and they are constantly seeking new, better ways to treat waste water.

As the year progresses it is expected that more and more UK businesses will take strides to ensure their waste water is properly treated for the safety and security of the wider environment. Water recycling is regarded as one of the keys to solving the world water crises, and is something we will be hearing about for years to come.

By Emma Smith on behalf of Environmental Screening and Separation, waste water treatment specialists which works throughout the UK to help businesses properly manage their water.