Ten main uses of water
It is often termed as the liquid of life for a reason. Even during space exploration, much of the focus is always placed upon its existence, since it is a pointer to the existence of life. Water is a fundamental resource in human existence, and its availability and quality play a huge role in the determination of a person’s habitat. Despite the fact that there is plenty water available for human survival, water should be viewed as a finite resource that has boundaries and limits to its availability as well as usage. Accessing water is, therefore, a basic need for human beings and contaminated water could jeopardize our social and physical health.
Water makes up over two-thirds of person’s weight, and without water, all of us would die. For the human body, water act as a lubricant and eases the digestion process. Water also regulates an individual’s body temperature and controls our bodies from overheating, producing a cooling effect. Movements of water inside our bodies allow the transfer of vital antibodies and blood components which regulate our osmotic balance and boosts our immune system. Outside the human body, water has other uses too.
Being a fundamental need water has ten primary uses in our day to day activities. Water is used in day to day activities for instance drinking, cooking brushing and bathing. Much of the daily, routine operations wouldn’t have been possible if it were not for water. People would end up thirsty, dirty and even hungry. One can imagine failure to flush toilets, wash utensils or cleaning the house due to lack of water. Dirt would in turn lead to diseases, and when goes to that level, then life is endangered.
Water can also be utilized for agricultural purposes. Irrigation, especially in dry areas and irrigation schemes, require water on a daily basis. There are also other forms of agricultural or farming practices that are fully reliant on water availability. These include gardening and fish farming. Water for example in dams can be used to generate electricity. Hydroelectric power plants are usually reliant on water for the movement of the turbines, which in turn generate electricity.
Water is also used in building and construction. The construction industry would technically come to a standstill, if it lacked water for even a few hours. Everything involved in building, needs a lot of water. Mixing of the building materials, consumption by the laborers, operation of the machines, all need water.
On an industrial scale, water is needed to run the companies, especially the manufacturing sector. These industries usually generate a lot of heat during their operation. This heat usually poses a serious threat on the machine components that generate it, since they can easily burn, or suffer wear and tear. As a result, they need a heat sink, or a system of cooling, during operation. This is where water becomes very valuable. The cooling of these industries needs water. Industries use water to generate steam that can generate electricity for their usage.
Water is also used to manufacture oxygen, hydrogen and even eater gas. Ph scales require water to act as its neutral. Water can be used for heating purposes. Water can also be used for recreation. There are numerous recreational activities that need water for them to be really enjoyable. These include swimming and even rafting. Without water, such activities wouldn’t even exist.
In conclusion, while this only mentions ten uses of water, it is worth noting that the uses of water exceed this by far. It is the most important liquid on the planet. As a result, a lot of care needs to be done, so as to conserve it for the present and the future.
