The research and investigation of water supplies is important to our planet and its sustainability. With so many sources of water and yet, such a little supply of consumable drinking water available, engineering firms are constantly looking for new sources of water. The following techniques and tools are a crucial part of the research for new water sources.
Advanced environmental consulting services
Environmental consulting professionals are knowledgeable in what makes a water source consumable. They are also skilled in investigating potential water sources and in some cases, in improving a poor quality of water to make it consumable. Environmental consultants are tasked with researching the planet?s water sources and finding ways to make them safe for worldwide consumption. This is done with a variety of tools and methods.
The importance of researching unsafe water sources
A lot of research goes into the planet?s water supplies that are not safe for drinking. About a quarter of all U.S. rainfall, for example, becomes groundwater. Groundwater provides much of the flow of many streams. Environmental consulting companies use these streams to learn about water supplies. The lakes and streams are windows to the water table. Further information can be gained from these water sources through aerial surveys and groundwater modeling techniques.
Water supply and well drilling
Water and well drilling is done to search for new water supplies. When a new water source is identified underneath the ground, it must be drilled into and tested as a safe drinking water source. New wells are often drilled by civil engineering professionals. Approximately 500,000 new residential wells are constructed annually, according to NGWA estimates. The construction of these vitally needed water supply systems involves the use of more than 18,460 drilling machines by an estimated 8,085 groundwater contracting firms.
The decontamination of water sources
Many of the planet?s natural water sources are contaminated and thus, are not suitable for drinking water. Environmental consulting professionals may also be tasked with cleaning up these water sources. Water quality reports indicate that 45% of U.S. streams, 47% of lakes, and 32% of bays are polluted. The first step in eradicating this pollution problem is to identify what exactly is polluting the waterways. It often comes from poor commercial disposal practices or the wash off of local harsh chemicals. Other times, it is caused by poorly functioning water systems.
After the cause of the pollution is identified, the environmental consulting professionals will develop a decontamination plan. If approved, the water will be routinely tested and harmful contaminants will be removed. The final goal is to find an additional water supply source for the city or residential property owner. Although these contamination remediation efforts are not always successful, they are an important part of increasing the world?s drinking water supply.
Although it does not seem like it, the world has a severe water supply shortage. Environmental consulting companies work on dissolving this problem in a variety of ways. One of the most important ways is in identifying additional water sources. These water sources may need to be decontaminated but may be a viable water source.