The Great Lakes provide an abundance of water and ecological diversity to the people of the region. This type of water access is both a blessing and burden. Almost 20% of the world’s surface freshwater is located in the Great Lakes. Furthermore, it accounts for 95% of the US surface freshwater supply.[1] This type of access gives the region enormous variability in terms of water usage. At the same time, greater access means we take this precious resource for granted. Others states in the US are struggling to fine a sustainable and prudent way to use and maintain their water supply. The precariousness of water access is not something we think about in the Great Lakes region, but it is something we should be conscious of. Greater efforts should be made to conserve and educate citizens about water.
Another increasingly salient aspect of water is water literacy. Many, especially in the Great Lakes region, know little about the contaminants that can be found in drinking water and how states and cities filter that water. Considering the recent event in Flint, Michigan, and many other cities dealing with similar circumstances, it becomes crucial for average citizens to have both the knowledge and the wherewithal to know what to do during a water emergency. In Flint, many of the efforts from outside parties to mediate the problem has been through supplying residents with bottled water. Although this undoubtedly helps, it does not fix the root cause – that the primary water source is contaminated. The donation of water bottles has an offsetting effect; calling into question who has access to water, who profits off of water and where do the water bottles go once they are used. There are both policy and personal issues to think about when it comes to water quality. On both counts, it is important to note that tap water is regulated whereas bottled water is more lightly regulated or not regulated at all. Oftentimes, bottled water is simply filtered municipal water. Since that is the case, think about how much money we can save individually and as a public (not having to recycle or deal with mountains of plastic bottles) by filtering water.
In this piece I want to make it clear and concise the many methods and materials that can be used to filter water. In addition, I will discuss the many standards set in place for water filtration that are geared toward consumers. Finally, I want to end with some of the ways in which power can be placed on average denizens to creatively think of viable water filtration alternatives. In the last piece I will discuss the 3D modeled water filtration prototype that I created, which will include resources for others to do the same. The 3D model endeavors to create a personal filter that can be screwed on to many different plastic bottles coming from varying companies. The filter is made to promote water bottle conservation not only recycling.