The scope of this topic is so vast that it’s hard to put into words that are easy to comprehend and can elicit a positive response. So hopefully this blog post will shed some light on a topic that is in the news far too often these days.
Industrial and commercial HVAC equipment requires tons of water to operate. Add to that the fact that this equipment needs treatment to keep it running free from scale and corrosion. Historically, that treatment has been toxic chemicals. Cutting-edge technology has been around for more than 25 years, and there are trailblazers who considered the environmental, as well as the financial advantage and made the switch from toxic to safe water treatment.
Protecting our water resources is a difficult job because of the onslaught from so many divergent sources. This is probably an over-simplified description, but according to the definition of Pollution on the United Nations, ‘Water for Life’ article from their website: http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/quality.shtml
“Pollution typically refers to chemicals or other substances in concentrations greater than would occur under natural conditions. Major water pollutants include microbes, nutrients, heavy metals, organic chemicals, oil and sediments; heat, which raises the temperature of the receiving water, can also be a pollutant. Pollutants are typically the cause of major water quality degradation around the world.”
If the source of your drinking water comes from a well, your exposure to harmful pollutants is somewhat minimized. If on the other hand, your drinking water is from a public municipality, the process involved to make that water safe, or potable, is a complex one. For water to be made safe for human consumption it must go through a process defined as ‘water-treatment’. This consists of coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and finally disinfection. Obviously, this process uses millions more gallons of water to achieve its goal.
There are measures currently available to stem the tide of water contamination and lessen the impact for future generations; trying to convince people that there’s a different, better way to eliminate that pollution is another obstacle altogether. Expanding your horizons beyond what is familiar and comfortable comes from awareness, knowledge and action to be a part of the solution.
