Water

Water regenerates itself

Fresh water basins, once polluted, have the capacity to depurate themselves, that is to bring water back to its original quality and purity. The self-depuration phenomenon is due to bacteria that, in the presence of oxygen, degrade and transform polluting substances into inert inorganic compounds. Obviously this type of process does not work with all pollutants and with for all quantities. In some cases man’s intervention is needed in order to reclaim previously-contaminated water reserves. The type of treatment to use in order to reclaim water mainly depends on the type of pollutant to be eliminated: reclamation is more complicated if there are many pollutants in the water. In some cases polluted water is extracted and treated. It is then put back in the water-bearing stratum, river or lake. In some other cases an in situ treatment is done (that means without moving the water from its original place). The sea also has a self-regeneration capacity, as it able to neutralize man’s polluting actions. But if human activities keep on exploiting a resource that looks (but is not) inexhaustible, this regeneration capacity will be reduced, not allowing the sea to carry out all its current vital functions. Man is aware of it and knows very well the mechanisms that regulate the water cycle and allow rivers, lakes, seas and oceans to live. Therefore we know where and how to act; the problem is to manage to improve and disseminate the good practices for a sustainable use of water all around the world, both in our communities and in those poor countries where the protection of natural resources is perceived as a luxury only reserved to rich countries.