Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
industrial uses:
-
hydroelectric production;
-
use in the production, conservation, and functioning of many
manufactured products;
-
cooling of production equipment (thermoelectric plants, refrigerated
plants, various factories);
-
energy production for heating and air conditioning (heat pumps,
cooling towers);
-
washing of material (quarries, gravel pits), of laundry (industrial
operations), or vehicles.
2 DOMESTIC USES AND AGRICULTURE
2.1 Drinking water supply
The minimum vital needs of a human, drinking, cooking, sanitation are
approximately 10 L per day per person. Domestic consumption today is
around 140 L per day per person in France. The addition of urban cleaning
water brings that number up to 250 L per day per person. This consumption
varies with cultural habits and with wealth. It can reach 400 L per day per
person in some large cities in the United States; conversely, it is below 30 L
per day per person in many African cities. Increasing quality of life is thus
accompanied by a considerable increase in water consumption.
In France, the water extracted for the drinking water supply is 60%
from groundwater and 40% from surface water.
Thankfully, the increase in consumption in developed countries is now
slowing. For example, in France, an increase of almost 2% per year from
1950 to 1970 went to 0.8% per year from 1970 to 1985, to reach 0.4% per year
since 1985. The increasing price of water, which has reached the equivalent
of one month of a minimum wage salary for a French household, and an
increased awareness of environmental problems explain this trend. The
next predictable step will therefore be the search for better quality. The
situation becomes dramatic in developing countries, where an increase in
untreated wastewater is accompanied by the decrease in quality of potable
resources.
2.2 Urban uses
Aside from purely domestic uses, city-dwellers also use water for street
cleaning, commerce, craftsmanship, and sewer maintenance. This
Search WWH ::
Custom Search