Water in its natural environment (lakes, rivers, aquifers) is a common resource which belongs to mankind.
A fragile resource and in some cases becoming more and more scarce, water has many uses in agriculture, in industry and in the home.
In most countries it is the responsibility of the public authorities to conserve, protect and regulate its use.
Water services
Water does not have a price but water services come at a cost
The main tasks of a water service are to transform water taken from its natural environment into a food product, supplying it to the public 24/7, and finally treating it before releasing it back into the natural environment.
The water that is provided by this service is a useful resource for private individuals, companies and public authorities.
Water services comprise three major stages:
These stages are:
- abstraction, treatment, then supplying drinking water to domestic or industrial clients;
- treating wastewater otherwise known as sanitation. This consists of collecting the wastewater and treating it before releasing it back into the natural environment;
- and the design and construction of water and wastewater
Diagrams
Water treatment cycle
After water has been abstracted, it undergoes several types of treatment in order to make it safe to drink.