How can water be wasted?

Question

If you use water, it goes down the drain, through the sewage, into the ocean, then evaporates into the atmosphere, and turns into precipitation. Water can't be lost, right?

Answer 1

I like this question. That's a good one!

Yes the water molecule H2O tends to stay together thu processes...

When people say 'dont waste water' they usually mean 'don't use so much water'. A city is usually fed by a large tank fed by nearby rivers and wells. When you use a lot of water this tank gets consumed faster, so pumping, filtering etc is needed, which is takes resources (staff, electricity, facility maintenance). Anyone from DWP to answer this?

Oh this reminds me the 'two grade thing', I 'm going to post my water question right now...

Answer 2

Its considered wasted when its no longer drinkable/useable. Your'e right. No water is wasted, not really, but its a waste when the water is no longer of any use to anyone.  And wasting water is forcing the water filtration plants to work harder, thereby expending more energy to treat water a person carelessly pours down a drain.

Answer 3

no as  treatement plants return it back to drinking water

Answer 4

When people talk about "wasting water" what they really mean is wasting useful water.  "Useful" water depends on what you need it for, but generally refers to clean, potable water that is easily accessible.  At a small scale, consuming excessive tap water means you're wasting clean, treated water.  At a larger scale, lowering the water tables of lakes and well water means less freshwater available.

Answer 5

Although water is not destroyed in the process you describe, it does become changed into a state where it requires effort to use it again.  Furthermore, the things we add to the water when we use it have adverse effects on the oceans.

So, "potable" water can be wasted and carelessly consuming water does create other issues.

The process of making usable drinking water is very energy intensive - and energy, particularly fossil fuels, are not recoverable.  

The issue of clean drinking water and sanitation is a huge problem facing most of the world right now and in turn creates other problems of public health and infrastructure development.

Answer 6

well, it might be considered wasted when your water bill comes. you'd be surprised how much water is used when you leave the water on to brush your teeth

Answer 7

Right...not without electrolysis to split it into hydrogen and oxygen.

Answer 8

yes

Answer 9

I can see the line of logic you have here and it makes sense.  Till you add the economic aspect into the mix.

Most states (and more than likely your county or even municipal) factor in the water that comes out of your taps.  Thus you pay for the water that you use to clean dishes, shave, shower, water the grass, etc.  In the economic realm then using water "recklessly" is a waste -- it comes out of your pocket and is a drain (pardon the pun) on not only your wallet, but community resources.

In that aspect you are paying directly for what you use.  So leaving the tap running for no reason will cost you.

In a larger environmental sense every community pulls water or has water sent in from a watershed.  This is a finite resource like oil, coal, and gold.  There is just X amount to use at any given time.

Across the globe we are now putting a stunning amount of stress on watersheds and tables.  This is most obvious in Africa.  It will become a factor very soon here in North America.

Water is not a given.  It doesn't just magically run from your taps.

Answer 10

Yes, This is very true since the amount of water in the earth cannot go anywhere else. So yes but the forms of water can be converted, like clorine water is harmful to the environment.

Answer 11

That water is no longer as clean as it used to be. In order for you to get the water it has to be transported from the lake, or ocean, or river and then cleaned up in a treatment plant. That costs money. The reason why water is considered wasted is because in certain areas rain didn't fall like it used to and now the population is more than it used to be. It takes more money to clean it up from other sources. Recently, certain areas got flooded so now the water is contaminated with waste so you cannot drink it without boiling it. All of these situations mean that the water isn't as clean as it used to be. Most fresh clean water is from springs or streams, or lakes and some of those areas are being dammed up for electricity, hence disappearing. Ocean water is very expensive to clean up. Some water vapor I think does leave the atmosphere and escape to outer space, but I think it is so small an amount it won't matter for a few thousand years.

Answer 12

wow, I just asked a very similar question. I think you do have a point.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 13

Very good point.

It could be wasted in another sense though like if you live in an area where water is hard to come by, ( Like a desert location).

Or like someone else said as it relates to how much money you are spending.