Lack of clean water is a very serious problem. Many people have no adequate access to clean water, and even suffer from the poor health due to the lack of basic sanitation. Actually, the total amount of water is in abundance in the world. However, some of the water cannot be used directly like the salty water and the water in forms of ice and snow. Furthermore, the water available to use is distributed improperly in the whole world and some are polluted both by human and naturally. Besides, many groundwater aquifers are used too fast to replenish because of the inefficient ways of using. While, water is so important that we use it in many areas with the agriculture and industry as a major. It becomes one of the greatest challenges to overcoming the crisis in water and sanitation for engineers who have historically provided methods to meet water supply and quality needs. To meet current needs, the methods will have to be more sophisticated. One large-scale approach used in many countries is to divert water from some regions to others; whereas it is an explosive political issue since it reduces water for some people as it is diverted to others. Another solution is about desalination, which is to extract the salt from seawater, and has already been used. It is effective but expensive and mainly suitable for seaside cities. It is considered that new technologies may help lower the cost like nano-osmosis. Nevertheless, it is still not enough to solve the problem. Then, engineers are providing more methods to solve the water problem. Technologies like recycling of wastewater and sewage treatment are being developed. Different technical approaches are also available through strategies of reducing water use, such as improved technologies with higher efficiency and small decentralized distillation units. In addition, technical solutions must be developed within a system where the inequities for poor people who have to seek out water supplies at higher costs are recognized and addressed.
Reference:
Provide access to clean water, Grand Challenges for Engineering , National Academy of Engineering, 500 Fifth Street, NW | Washington, DC 20001 | T. 202.334.3200 | F. 202.334.2290
Retrieved on Sep 29, 2008.
From http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9142.aspx
