The main difference between these notions is that water consumers (many branches of industry, agriculture, etc.) use water, while water users (transport, water transport, hydroelectricity, etc.) it does not consume. Therefore, from an environmental point of view, the main danger comes from the water, while water users contribute to the pollution of the hydrosphere (e.g. marine transport).
The main consumer of fresh water on the planet — agriculture, on which more than 60% is water. To produce 1 ton of dry plant mass in various conditions of heat and moisture transpiration from only 150-200 up to 800-1000 m3 of water. About the same amount spent on unproductive evaporation and about a quarter of this amount of water is delayed in the biomass. On irrigation and irrigation of agricultural lands today is more than 4000 KM3 of water annually. To this should be added the water spent on the needs of the livestock.
The most water-intensive industries-mining, metallurgical, chemical, celluloznobumaznaa and food. These industries include energy, but once again: this industry is more water than the water user. According to some reports, in the industrialized Western countries use water for cooling units and aggregates the production reaches 50% of the total mass of the sometimes water to its needs.
In modern conditions have significantly increased demand for fresh water on kommunal?nobytovye needs. Urban inhabitant of the planet to use spends an average of about 150 l, and the village is approximately 55 l. against the background of these indicators, the availability of fresh water and SanktPeterburga up to 600-700 litres a day-it seems fantastic, even in comparison with other major cities around the world. Indeed, this figure cannot be given credit for the municipalities mentioned cities, because back in ancient Roman vaterklozetah have already used water from baths, and an indomitable this rule flogged with birch rods.
A particularly difficult situation with access to clean water in arid regions.
The calculations of specialists show that the annual increase of water intake is permanently 4-5%. While preserving the existing population growth of volumes of manufacture of humanity may face a real risk of running out of fresh water supplies.
Water use and water consumption