ENV-1010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: American Water Works Association, Water Scarcity, Desiccation
13 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Worldwide water use: 70% for irrigation, 20% for industry, 10% for cities. What causes freshwater shortages: 4 causes, dry climate, drought. >21 days with at least 70% less precipitation: desiccation. Drying of exposed soil due to habitat degradation: water stress. Low per capita availability of water caused by high human population (supply-demand) When the volume of reliable runoff per person drops below 1,700 cubic meters of water per year (450,000 gallons) When per capita water availability falls below 1000 cubic meters per year (262,000 gallons) Water stats: 1 out of 6 people do not have regular access to clean water, could increase to 1 out of 4 by 2050. How can we increase water supplies: 1. 51% of all drinking water in the u. s. is from groundwater: 96% of all water in rural areas, 20% of all water in urban areas. 43% of all groundwater is used for irrigation: 4.
