Groundwater: The Unsung Hero That Your Family Needs to Know About
What is groundwater?
Every year since 1993, on the 22nd of March, the United Nations commemorates World Water Day. This annual initiative focuses on our greatest resource—water—and raises awareness around the 2 billion people currently living without access to safe water.
A core focus of the initiative is to inspire action towards water protection. As we have dedicated our lives to protecting the world’s waters, World Water Day is a really important moment to us at Kvaroy Arctic. Over 70% of the earth's surface is covered in water. But of that water, only 1% is readily available for human use, and groundwater makes up 99% of that precious 1%!
Under our feet, under cities and buildings, under layers of soil, groundwater is a valuable hidden treasure that nourishes our lives. Groundwater fills the spaces between soil particles and fractured rock beneath the earth's surface.
As almost all of the liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater, having it, keeping it clean, and sustainably preserving it are all very important. Groundwater supports drinking water supplies, sanitation systems, farming, industry, and ecosystems. It has SO many functions—from helping grow our food to filling up lakes, rivers, and wetlands.
To understand the nature of groundwater, we need to study the Hydrologic Cycle:
Just like carbon, water is always on the move. From the time the earth was formed, it has been endlessly circulating through the hydrologic cycle. Groundwater is an important part of this continuous cycle. When heated by the sun, the surface water evaporates and forms clouds in the sky.
After some time, the water gathered in the clouds falls back to the earth as different types of precipitation—rain, snow, sleet, hail, which are all dependent on the temperature and the weather conditions. Some precipitation moves from high areas to low areas on the earth's surface and into surface water bodies. This is known as “surface runoff.” Other precipitation seeps into the ground and is stored as groundwater.
Invisible, yet visibly impactful!
We should care about groundwater because it has been over-used or highly polluted in many areas for years. Exploring, protecting, and sustainably using groundwater will be central to surviving and adapting to climate change and meeting the needs of a growing population.
How to preserve groundwater at home?
Don't let it run
Shut off the water when you brush your teeth, when you soap your body, or when you shave, and don't let it run while waiting for it to get cold or hot.Wash smarter
Limit yourself to just a five-minute shower, and challenge your family members to do the same! Also, make sure to only run full loads in the dish and clothes washer.Fix the drip
Check all of the faucets, fixtures, toilets, and taps in your home for leaks and fix them right away, or install water-conserving models. If there is a leakage, try to collect the water in a bucket and reuse it for watering your plants later.Garden with native plants
In your home and garden, choose native plants and grass that are adapted for your region’s climate because they won’t need much water or fertilizer. Also choose grass varieties for your lawn that are adapted for your region's climate, reducing the need for extensive watering or chemical applications.Water wisely
Water the lawn and plants during the coolest parts of the day and only when they truly need it. After boiling pasta, keep the water as it’s rich in nutrients. When it’s cooled down, you can use it for watering your plants!Adopt a diet that is rich in ethically harvested fish and seaweed
Sustainably grown seaweed, for example, requires no fresh water or land to grow. It’s nutritious, delicious, AND climate and ocean-friendly!Collect rainwater
Collect rainwater and use it for watering the plants, for water guns, or washing your bike.Reduce, reuse, and recycle
Reduce the amount of things you use in your household and reuse what you can. Recycle paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, aluminum, and other materials. Everything we use in our daily lives is produced by using some quantity of water. You can even reuse your bath water for watering plants.Reduce chemical use
Use fewer chemicals around your home and yard, and make sure to dispose of them properly—don't dump them on the ground!Manage waste
Properly dispose of potentially toxic substances like unused chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paint, motor oil, and other substances. Also, don't flush tissue paper or any other waste down the toilet.Find non-toxic alternatives
Use natural and non-toxic household cleaners whenever possible. Materials such as lemon juice, baking soda, and vinegar make great cleaning products, are inexpensive, and environmentally friendly.Learn and do more!
Get involved in water education—learn more about groundwater and share your knowledge with others.
What’s next?
All these little steps can cause ripples of change. Discuss them within your family and engage your children to become water protectors. You can turn those important conversations into a creative playtime by printing out our free coloring page dedicated to water that we have created in collaboration with the environmental coloring book Healthy Earth. It’s easier for kids to focus while engaging in calming activities such as coloring!