Canada is blessed with significant quantities of freshwater. Canadian water resources play a major role in the economy and are integral to the country's agriculture, manufacturing, navigation and tourism sectors.
Overview
Groundwater refers to water reservoirs stored in deep geologic formations known as aquifers. Groundwater sources vary in their capacity, depth and quality. Nonetheless, they are an important source of freshwater. It is estimated that if all groundwater on Earth were to submerge the planet it would completely cover its surface to a depth of 120 meters! In contrast, all surface water on Earth from lakes, rivers and swamps can cover the entire planet surface with only 0.25 meter.
In Canada, 8.9 million people rely on groundwater for domestic use. This represents about 30% of total freshwater sources consumed by Canadians. Certain regions in the country depend more on groundwater than others. For instance, Prince Edward Island relies 100% on groundwater since they do not have significant sources of surface water. Similarly, New Brunswick obtains 60% of its freshwater from groundwater sources.
Groundwater is normally accessed by means of a well. A pump is typically installed to pump water for consumption. In rural Canada and Prairie Provinces, groundwater is relied upon for crop irrigation. In British Columbia and Quebec, on the other hand, groundwater is used mostly for industrial applications.
Groundwater as a Source of Energy
Some groundwater reservoirs contain hot water. This heat can be harnessed to provide domestic heating. While the technology is not yet widespread, there are successful examples of smart utilization of groundwater as an energy source. For instance, the City of Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan uses a geothermal heating system to heat a public swimming pool. Similarly, Carleton University in Ottawa uses hot groundwater to heat its buildings.
Groundwater Quality
Mother Nature has provided a natural filtration system for groundwater, and humans have been depended on it for thousands of years. The various layers of silt, sand and rock that cover aquifers act as natural filters that remove sediments and impurities, particularly harmful microorganisms. Unlike surface water, groundwater is generally confined and not exposed to the multitude of contamination sources, and that preserves its pristine quality.
However, groundwater is susceptible to contamination from nearby pollution sources. For example, leaking gasoline tanks from gas stations, leaking septic tanks in cottages or wastewater leachate from landfills can seriously contaminate groundwater with serious diseases.
The unfortunate Walkerton tragedy for instance occurred due to contamination of well water by manure that leached into the soil from a nearby farm (combined with improper treatment). In Ville Mercier, Quebec, a similar incident happened where industrial waste contaminated local groundwater supplies, and residents had to pump water from a well 10 kilometers away from their community to provide an alternative source of safe water.
In general, groundwater has larger values of hardness and dissolved minerals than surface water, yet this is not always the case. Unlike surface water, groundwater preserves its quality, temperature and other parameters over time and is less susceptible to weather fluctuations and land use.
When designing a water treatment system for a well, it is advisable to perform detailed water analysis to ensure that water is microbiologically safe for consumption. Depending on water quality and local regulations, additional treatment or disinfection may be necessary.
The term “global warming” is mistakenly used to describe the climate change phenomenon. While it’s true that climate change will cause an average increase in the world’s temperature over the next century, some regions will actually experience a cooling effect. Nonetheless, climate change will lead to a disturbance in the atmosphere.
Canada has the one of the world’s largest reserves of freshwater. In fact, almost 9% of Canada’s total area is covered by freshwater. The Great Lakes region alone contains approximately 18% of all the world’s fresh surface water. The Canadian portion of the Great Lakes occupies 10% of the total area of freshwater supplies in the country.
Freshwater supplies are not equally distributed around the world, and some countries have access to more resources than others. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared access to water as a fundamental human right. Unfortunately, an estimated 1.1 Billion people around the world do not have access to adequate, safe freshwater.
Inequality in water distribution and quality around the world creates myriad economic and social problems. Polluted water is responsible for many deaths by waterborne illnesses. The WHO estimates that one child dies every 15 seconds from diarrhea, which is caused largely by poor sanitation and unsafe water supplies.
The right to safe water and sanitation is included in a number of international treaties and conventions. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights guaranteed all people to a standard of living adequate to their well-being. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights also adopted the right to health, and specifically recognized water as an independent right.
While the right to water sounds intuitive and supported by all people, it has political and legal implications. In 2008, Germany and Spain lead a motion in the United Nations to declare water and sanitation as a human right. Canada was the only country to vote against that motion, stating that there are no human rights obligations related to access to safe water under international conventions.
The explanation of the Canadian government is that if water were to be declared as a human right, it might jeopardize the delicate negotiations on water rights between Canada and the United States. Furthermore, it may promote private enterprises in the United States to make claims on Canada’s water supplies and open the door to bulk water exports because of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
According to the Centre on Human Rights and Evictions, the international definition of water as a human right protects the sovereignty of nations and does not give private investors the right to claim Canadian water resources on the basis of human rights. The right for water limits access to water to basic personal and hygiene use which typically account for only 5% of overall water consumption.
Recognizing water as a human right will not jeopardize Canada’s water resources and will not give other countries the right to lay claims on Canadian territorial waters. On the contrary, recognizing water as a human right will empower poor communities to hold their governments to account and promote reforms of sanitation and water policies. Hopefully, that will provide people access to safe drinking water.
Canada can support developing nations by sharing technological innovations and assisting developing countries in building safe water infrastructure. After all, proper management and conservation of water resources will help countries utilize their own water resources without the need for bulk water imports or conflicts over water rights.
We thank the fine folks at The Water Quality Association (WQA) for the contents of this document addressing frequently asked questions about lead in drinking water.
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