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Distribution of Surface Water
Industry
21%
Domestic
6%
Irrigation
73%
Industry
Domestic
Irrigation
Domestic usage can however spare more water since 10 L. of water is required to flush a
toilet and 100 L. for a shower and a lot more is used by washing machines.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to do the ritual ablutions with a bucket of water (a
sa’), while he used to bath with 5 buckets (Sa’) only! And at this time a small bucket of water
was still enough to wash private parts.
Consider putting a bottle full of water inside the tank of your toilet in order to reduce the amount
of water you use daily, and use the shower only to rinse the soap from your body!
Other problems:
Developing countries do not have sanitary facilities the western world possesses. In fact,
human waste is simply deversed into rivers without treatment, and 4 out of 5 common diseases in
these countries (thyphoid, cholera, etc) are caused by dirty water or lack of sanitation.
The problem is major since 20,000 people die everyday of these diseases!
To complicate the matter, only one-fifth of city dwellers in these countries have access to safe
water, but one half is wasted already though leaks in pipes and taps!
Oceans & Rivers:
Since most streams of water end up naturally in the oceans, the pollution started in the
rivers finally pollutes the seawater as well. But 90% of the pollution stays around the shore,
never reaching deep sea and making local fishery and swimming unsafe. The Mediterranean sea
is a good example; it is the most polluted of all seas in the world. WHY?
Think about the Mediterranean Sea. What are its characteristics? Do you think the pollution can
reach the Atlantic easily, so the sea can be cleaned more easily?
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This situation is important to know if we keep in mind that two-thirds of the world’s
population lives within 80Km of a coast, and 90% of the fish worldwide is caught around the
coasts!
What kind of problems do you think this generates?
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Now, what about that?
Water runoff carries fertilizers from the fields into lakes, streams and rivers. These fertilizers are
called phosphates and nitrates. When combined with the phosphates and nitrates from sewage,
they speed the growth of algae and water plants. It is probably interesting to look, but this causes
an ecological unbalance, and much more than that… Try to find the main danger of this
phenomenon through he following series of questions:
What is the role of plants living in the water?
1.
___________________________________
2.
___________________________________
If you do not know, remember, what do you need in order to provide livable conditions in an
aquarium?
You need:
1.
____________________________________
2.
____________________________________
3.
____________________________________
4.
____________________________________
What do you think happens when there are too many plants in the water?
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What happens when you do not clean an aquarium after a few weeks?
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If you do not know, remember the case of the Kudzu vine. This vine can live on the ground, but
it can also live in rivers and cover an entire stream of water in a few years!
What is happening here, in picture B?
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