Water & Earth
The Water, the Earth and Us
Water is the most important natural resource on Earth; it is at the heart of life. The blue planet, Earth is indeed the only celestial body that makes human life possible. Moreover, it is its infinite oceans, rivers, and freshwater sources that allow us to survive. From what we know, the first human civilizations took shape near rivers. The Nile, the Ganges, and the Euphrates were all places where humans began to settle on Earth. Across the four corners of the planet, the main rivers have played an important role in the evolution of mankind. For indeed, water is a vital component for us human beings. We use it to quench our thirst, wash ourselves, clean our belongings, and it proves useful for many other uses as well. Without water, life would simply be impossible.
On the surface, water seems abundant and inexhaustible on Earth, and that is certainly why our Western societies have experienced a great deal of wastefulness in terms of water over the past few decades. But in the current climatic and economic context, can we affirm today that our water resources are inexhaustible? Certainly not.
Water on Earth: what is its role?
Whether liquid, solid, or gaseous, water is a fundamental component of life. In its liquid form, it contributes to the maintenance of life in human body cells and controls erosion, thus defining the Earth's relief.
In its gaseous form, it protects the Earth from UV rays and facilitates thermal transfer between the atmosphere, oceans, and continents, thus ensuring the maintenance of temperature across the entire planet.
If, according to the data, water covers more than 70%, or 1,400 million km³, of the Earth's surface, only a thin proportion of this water is truly accessible to us. Indeed, 97% of water resources are found in oceans and seas. Consumable freshwater accounts for only 3% of this abundant quantity of water, or 35 million km³. But that's not all.
Of these 3% of freshwater and consumable water, only 0.3% is accessible on the surface. Therefore, we can only use a very small amount of the water available on Earth. As a result, freshwater remains a fairly rare commodity, which is why we must strive to preserve it.
How much water do we need to live?
The human body is composed of 60% water, and this can even go up to 80% in the case of an infant. Almost omnipresent, water is found in our tissues, our 50 trillion cells, our fluids (blood, digestive juices, intestinal secretions), etc. It therefore has multiple roles such as regulating body temperature, hormonal regulation, eliminating toxins through urine, transporting vitamins and other nutrients through the blood, and many more.
That said, although the human body is largely made up of water, it is not capable of storing water. Otherwise, we would never be thirsty, which is why we must consume water constantly. On average, our body expends more than two liters each day to produce blood, saliva, gastric juices, intestinal secretions, mucus, etc. Some of the water is also eliminated through urine, sweat, tears, and breathing.
Thus, we approximately need 2.5 liters of water daily to compensate for our daily water loss. One liter of water will come from food and 1.5 liters from drinks. In other words, we could not survive without a source of hydration for three days.
Indeed, from 2 % dehydration, we already feel thirsty, which becomes unbearable at 3 % dehydration. From 5 %, dehydration causes difficulties in concentration, headaches, and a loss of 20 to 30 % of athletic performance. Therefore, it is necessary to hydrate throughout the day to ensure good body health.
But the amount of water drunk per day actually represents only a very small proportion of the amount of water a human being needs each day. Today, according to some statistics, each French person consumes between 140 and 150 liters of water per day.
In 2014, the daily water consumption per person was about 165 liters. This decrease in water consumption observed over several years can mainly be explained by the increase in the price of water. From this amount of water consumed :
- 39 % is dedicated to personal hygiene ;
- 20 % for sanitation (use of the flush, brushing teeth, etc.) ;
- 12 % is used for laundry ;
- 12 % for maintenance and cleaning work (housing, garden watering, car washing, etc.) ;
- 10 % for dishwashing ;
- 6 % for cooking ;
- 1 % for drinking.
Given all these uses, one can imagine that a water shortage would be a real disaster and would disrupt our daily habits. In some arid areas of the world, spending a quarter of an hour in the shower is already considered a true luxury.
Water, an inexhaustible resource?
According to several studies, every second, the planet consumes 1.3 million liters of water, a figure that exceeds the capacity for replenishing the planet's water reserves or stocks.
Water resources are therefore not inexhaustible. Abundant, yes. Inexhaustible, no. Indeed, the water we drink is drawn from lakes and rivers, that is to say from surface waters, which unfortunately are threatened with drying up.
Currently, UNICEF estimates that nearly 2.2 billion people still do not have access to drinking water from their homes. If water is life, non-potable water has proven to be one of the main causes of mortality in the world, as several million people are still forced to consume unsafe water nowadays.
Having become a public health issue, the relevant authorities are putting all necessary means in place to ensure that the water supply is potable. Nevertheless, in certain circumstances, incidents can occur in the distribution networks. The tap water then loses its clarity and sometimes even has an unpleasant odor. In these cases, the water is truly polluted; it may contain a large amount of bacteria, arsenic, or limestone.
Such events prompt consumers to question the quality of the water they consume daily from the tap and, if necessary, to seek alternatives.
Bottled water to compensate for the shortcomings of tap water?
While mains water in the UK is carefully regulated, many people still choose bottled water, often for reasons of taste, convenience, or perceived purity. As a result, bottled water consumption has grown steadily over the past decades, becoming a multi-billion-pound global industry.
These figures are striking when considered alongside the environmental cost. Bottled water relies heavily on non-renewable resources, including oil and gas, which are used to produce large volumes of plastic packaging. Despite recycling efforts, a significant proportion of plastic bottles are not recycled and instead end up in landfill or the natural environment.
There is also the environmental impact of transport to consider. Bottled water is frequently shipped over long distances, generating greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of the supply chain. A substantial share of bottled water consumed each year is transported far beyond its country of origin.
While bottled water may appear convenient, its long-term environmental and economic costs are considerable. For many households, this has led to a growing interest in more sustainable ways to make better use of the water already available to them.
Why filter the water available to us?
Filtering water at home is not yet a habit for everyone, but it offers a number of practical advantages. In addition to reducing household costs and limiting reliance on single-use plastic bottles, home filtration provides greater control over the taste and quality of the water we drink every day.
For many people, better-quality drinking water means:
- Water with reduced levels of microorganisms and unwanted particles;
- Water with lower concentrations of certain chemical residues, such as heavy metals or agricultural by-products;
- Water that retains naturally occurring minerals, including calcium, magnesium and potassium;
- Water that maintains trace elements naturally present in drinking water.
In the UK, mains water is subject to strict treatment and quality standards before it reaches households. It is sourced from both groundwater and surface water, treated to ensure safety, and then distributed through extensive pipe networks.
As water travels through infrastructure that may vary in age and condition, some households choose additional filtration to improve taste and remove residual elements such as chlorine, which can sometimes be noticeable in smell or flavour.
In areas with hard water, naturally occurring limescale can also affect taste and contribute to scale build-up in kettles, coffee machines, and household plumbing over time. Filtration can help reduce these effects, supporting both appliance longevity and everyday use.
With years of experience in water filtration, Weeplow offers a range of solutions designed for daily drinking water as well as for coffee machines—helping households make more sustainable and informed choices about the water they use.
