Canadians will never go thirsty. With over one million lakes,
including part ownership of the Great Lakes, and massive ice
fields, Canada is home to nearly nine per cent of the world’s
supply of fresh water, but its population is less than one per
cent of the world’s total.
So we have nothing to worry about when it comes to water?
This is what Environment Canada says: “Generations of us have
been conditioned to view Canadian water as a bottomless well.
But the well is neither as deep nor as full as we think. The truth
is that Canada, which occupies 7% of the world’s land mass,
has 9% of its renewable water. So, we have just about our fair
share. Even that fact, however, is misleading. About 60% of
Canada’s freshwater drains north, while 90% of our population
lives within 300 kilometres of our southern border. In other
words, to the extent that we Canadians have lots of water, most
of it is not where it is needed, in the populated areas of the
country. In those populated areas where it is plentiful, water is
fast becoming polluted and unusable. The overall problem
in the country is compounded by drought in certain regions.
Put simply, Canada is not a water-rich country.”
Even with that, we are certainly more fortune than many other
countries on the globe, though we must still manage water like
any other valuable resource – with care.
One billion people lack access to safe, clean drinking water and
the situation will get worse. Current studies forecast increasing
water scarcity, e.g. in 2030 the total water demand can’t be
met by groundwater and surface water. We need a paradigm shift
in this field and in the technologies used in order to satisfy
future requirements. Yet it is not just technologies that have to
be modernized, our mindset must also change. Wastewater,
for example, should no longer be seen as a burden; it must be
seen as raw material, as a source for our future water supply.
Singapore is already setting a good example. One third of the
water supply (mostly in the industrial sector) is already covered
by treated wastewater.
Our challenge is to drive this change with innovative technology
as well as smart solutions when refurbishing plants. Pneumatic
actuators can provide our customers with great value in various
ways. The consumption of electricity can be reduced by up to
5–30% by using energy-efficient methods.
All these examples show that the usage of energy can be im-
proved by many different means and we can and have to contrib-
ute to overcome water shortages in the future.
Thomas Lichtenberger
Thomas Lichtenberger,
President Festo Inc.
Sustainable
Water Solutions
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