World Water Day 2022: Breaking Ground with Groundwater

By: Caitlin Dimalanta  |  March 22, 2022 

Today is International World Water Day. A day dedicated to raising awareness of preserving one of life’s most critical resources and it’s a great opportunity to learn more about how universally connected we all are through water. 

Water conservation plays a major role in developing a holistic sustainable building plan. There are a multitude of ways you can save water to achieve your green building goals—from easy proactive tasks like monitoring your water bill to detect leaks to implementing products that reduce water usage.

Since March 1993, World Water Day has been celebrated around the world with the goal of raising awareness of the 2.2 billion people that live without access to safe drinking water. World Water Day also serves as a reminder for all of us to do our part to take action against the world water crisis. 

This year’s theme focuses on groundwater. As defined by the National Groundwater Association, groundwater is “the water that fills cracks and other openings in beds of rocks and sand.” There are many challenges the Earth’s groundwater faces such as pollution and overuse.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey pumping groundwater at higher than average rates has adverse effects on the environment:

• Higher water costs 

• Lowering of the water table 
• Less water in our streams and lakes
• The sinking of the Earth’s surface (land subsidence)
• Lower water quality

Source: www.nationalgeographic.org

Why is Groundwater so Important?

Thirty percent of the world’s freshwater is made up of 2.78 trillion gallons of groundwater. As pictured in the diagram above, aquifers are underground layers of rock that store groundwater. This water is recharged by rainfall and melted snow that trickles through the soil into the aquifers.  

In addition to being a renewable source of drinking water, groundwater can help us adapt to climate change. As sea levels rise so does the saltwater intrusion into the coastal aquifers. This contamination (saline/brackish) affects groundwater making it undrinkable.  

Protecting and strategically using groundwater can significantly help with climate change adaptation. For example, brackish groundwater can be repurposed as a coolant for power generation, aquaculture, and other industrial uses like hydraulic fracturing. Also, extraction at sustainable rates can help our planet secure this viable water source. 

Groundwater and You

Here are great ways you can protect and conserve groundwater from a facility's maintenance perspective:

• Use native plants in your landscaping projects; they minimize water and fertilizer use and are already adapted to the climate of your region
• Dispose of chemicals and other toxic waste properly to reduce water contamination
• Prevent wasting water by fixing leaky faucets, fixtures, toilets, and taps
• Water your plants in the coolest times of the day so the water soaks into the soil before it gets evaporated by the heat
• Using products that reduce your facility's water usage

Just by learning about the importance of groundwater and incorporating water-conscious building maintenance plans, you are helping with the global efforts of conserving our planet's precious water resources!

WAXIE is committed to helping our customers keep their facilities cleaner, healthier, greener, and safer. That means creating customized cleaning solutions to meet your specific needs, and then providing the ongoing training and support to help you achieve a cleaner and healthier building environment with water conservation.  

Please contact your WAXIE Account Consultant today to schedule a consultation.  

Caitlin Dimalanta is WAXIE’s eCommerce Specialist. She enjoys researching and implementing various SEO (search engine optimization) strategies to enhance WAXIE’s eCommerce platform Web@Work. Caitlin has a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from San Diego State University. 

References:

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/aquifer-illo/

https://water.usgs.gov/ogw/gwrp/brackishgw/use.html#:~:text=Direct%20Use%3A,enhancing%20recovery%2C%20and%20hydraulic%20fracturing.

https://www.un-igrac.org/areas-expertise/groundwater-climate-change

https://www.worldwaterday.org/learn

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/aquifers-and-groundwater

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/groundwater-decline-and-depletion#:~:text=Ground%20water%20and%20the%20rural%20homeowner&text=Overview-,Groundwater%20is%20a%20valuable%20resource%20both%20in%20the%20United%20States,issue%20associated%20with%20groundwater%20use.

https://www.groundwater.org/action/home/top10.html