27 40 Percent Of The Cities Water example essay topic

Water Problem and its implications on Mexico City In what was once lake Texcoco now stands the 3rd most populous city in the world. 'Ciudad de los Palacios' ('City of Palaces'), or as we know it Mexico City, is home to more then 20 million (2003) people and serves as the governing capital of Mexico. Like many other metropolis D.F. (as known by the Mexican people) post enormous water sanitation and distribution problems. Ironically enough, the waters once known as lake Texcoco, in which the city lays its foundation on causes as many problems pertaining to this matter as it solves. Much like Seattle WA, Mexico city is sinking into the ground. Unlike Seattle this is mostly from poor planning and over use of the cities under lying ground water, not sandy; unstable ground as in Seattle's case. D.F. relies on groundwater for more then 80 per sent of its water needs.

More then 620 deep wells help produce this quota with energy cost greater than the annual consumption of Haiti. The major problem with pumping water from beneath the city is the sinking effects of the cities soil foundation compacting when it losses its water, much like an empty pop can being stepped on. Parts of the city have plunged more then 30 ft into the subsoil as a result of over pumping. With an estimated 1,100 new rural migrants a day, the cities water problem only gets worse daily.

"Pip as" or water trucks, make daily rounds to supply the millions of citizens with highly over priced bottled water. This massive problem of overpopulation is increasingly troubling with experts as they expect 90 percent of further growth to occur in urban areas. But how do you combat this crisis? One solution, installing low-flow toilets could cut usage by 70 percent. (CIP) New York city in the mid 90's was facing a similar water shortage.

Facing a choice of a billion dollar pumping station or low-flow toilets, NY opted for the low-flows. 1.33 million low-flow toilets later, water consumption per day drop 70 percent over an eight-year span (91-99), with 70-90 million gallons saved a day! A solution currently being employed is to fix leaks in the cities out dated water pipes. Anywhere from 27-40 percent of the cities water is lost through leaks, an estimated 1100 gallons could be saved a second if these leak were. Other ideas currently in use or suggested include: Collecting rainfall, Desalination, and drip irrigation. My favorite, drip irrigation would not only save 30-70 percent compared with flood irrigation, but has been shown to increase crop yield 20-90 percent, talk about killing two birds with one stone.

But really when it comes down to it the easiest and most logical way to cut the cities water demand of 7,750 gallons per second would be to teach people water conservation methods, recycle water more effectively, and / or just stop polluting the current sources. Still it's easier said then done without the proper funding this will never happen. While were on the money subject let me throw just one more fun statistic at you, some 40 percent of water users either never receive water bills or simply refuse to pay them. Maybe Mexico's Management of water and wastewater service could try collecting on these dues so it can invest into Mexico cities outdated and over extended water system. But you know what they say you " you help someone who wont help themselves". Sources web water/4. html elwood. la. as. edu / grs l / UM/ Mex%20 City%20 Case%20 Study%20 Pt%201. ppt.