World Water Day 2022
Today is #WorldWaterDay 2022!
With this year’s theme “Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible” your #NationalMuseumPh is one with the world in highlighting the importance of our hidden water resource.
Groundwater is stored in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand, and rocks beneath the Earth’s surface. It may be out of our sight but it’s everywhere, right under our feet. It is a massive resource that is often disregarded and is under-protected. Groundwater is being used as drinking water, a crop irrigation source, and even utilized in manufacturing industries.
Do you still use groundwater in your areas? Did you know that the quality of groundwater is affected by the number of dissolved minerals it contains?
Even though the ground can be a good filter for particulate substances such as leaves, rocks, etc., dissolved minerals and gases can still occur in large quantities to cause problems. Common dissolved minerals in groundwater include sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, and sulfate. The presence of these gives groundwater a tangy taste.
As the groundwater flows through sediments, metals such as iron and manganese can be dissolved in the water. Excessive iron causes reddish stains on plumbing fixtures and clothing. Oxidized manganese causes dark brown or black stains. Acidic water is also caused by high iron concentrations.
When the groundwater contains too much calcium and magnesium, it is described to be hard water. Presence of such leaves scaly deposits on the insides of pipes, boilers, water heaters, and tanks. Very hard water is no longer desirable for domestic uses.
Generally, as the water continues to flow through the openings in rocks, its mineral content also increases. This is why deeper and older groundwater resources are more highly mineralized. At some point, the groundwater reaches a balance that prevents it from dissolving more minerals.
Groundwater is the most accessed source of freshwater. With our advancing and changing environments, groundwater will become more and more critical. We have to protect and manage it properly to ensure its sustainability.
In our simple ways, let us all help in conserving and protecting our precious groundwater resources.
Help us spread making this invisible resource visible by sharing how groundwater affects your life and using the hashtag #MyGroundwaterStory.
Text by the NMP Geology and Paleontology Division
© 2022 National Museum of the Philippines
