WISA • Y WP
WATER QUALITY “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water”. The relevance of this old quote, by poet WH Auden, is reinforced by the recent role WASH initiatives play in preventing the transmission of Covid-19. Baloyi Mogau, disaster risk management graduate, outlines the crucial elements and benefits of water quality.
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ater pollution, urbanisation, population growth and the transmission of diseases – coupled with the prominence of the impacts of climate change and food security issues in vulnerable communities – place increasing pressure on water quality. As the world’s population is expected to reach nine billion by 2037, the increasing demand for potable water exacerbates the risks for water planners and authorities in addressing the shortages of adequate quality of water supply. However, such risks can be mitigated and prevented, provided adequate and risk-informed preparatory measures are implemented promptly. Conversely, the procedures for averting the crises embedded in those risks do not come cheap or without effort.
on how life cycles are maintained and sustained. Moreover, water quality defines the required standards and conditions for safe water. The management of water quality promotes the consideration of principles relating to the microbial, chemical and radiological aspects of water, as well as their acceptability standards. In other words, for water to be acceptable, it should adhere to the prescribed microbial, chemical, and radiological standards for water potability. Water quality practitioners also consider consumer satisfaction,
What is water quality?
Water quality is essential for lifesupporting processes for both marine and terrestrial lives. By taking the nutrient contents of water from a health and chemical perspective into account, water quality has a great effect
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specifically with regard to the appearance, taste and odour of water. Thus, the acceptability of water is influenced by the utilisation purpose of the water (agricultural, industrial, domestic and recreational use). Natural water quality is measured to assess and prioritise the establishment of either ‘residual’ or ‘chemical’ water disinfection plants for a sustainable quality water supply that also reduces the susceptibility to the transmission of waterborne diseases. Water quality standards describe, monitor and control the conditions of water by ensuring that it withstands the rigorously derived testing standards for acceptability and qualification to serve specific purposes, including cooking and drinking. In simple terms, it measures the content of impurities using physical, biological and chemical methods.
Impacts of poor water quality management Baloyi Mogau, disaster risk management graduate
Poor water quality can pose health risks to both people and the ecosystem, leading to degradation of the available water resources, which has an adverse impact on
