Technology & Interventions by Stakeholders in Water Supply (Edexcel GCSE Geography A): Revision Note

Attitudes to Exploitation & Consumption of Water

• There are many stakeholders involved in the consumption and exploitation of water, including:

  • Individuals

  • Organisations

  • Governments

• Stakeholders may have different views and attitudes regarding the management of water resources

Different views regarding water in Las Vegas

• The water for Las Vegas used to come from natural springs

  • Over abstraction meant that these were drained completely by the 1960s

• About 90% of the water for Las Vegas now comes from Lake Mead (the reservoir behind the Hoover Dam)

• The area has been affected by drought on several occasions over the last 20 years

• Since 1983, Lake Mead has been below full capacity due to increased demand and drought

  • By 2022, it was at just over 25% capacity

Individuals 

• Residents in Las Vegas are concerned that decreasing supply will mean a rise in water prices

  • Some residents believe they should reduce water consumption

  • Other residents want to keep their swimming pools and be able to water their lawns

• Farmers in Nevada are concerned that water consumption by Las Vegas will reduce the amount of water available for irrigation

Organisations

• Environmental organisations are concerned that increasing water abstraction will harm ecosystems

• Business owners want to encourage tourism and worry that water restrictions will reduce it

Government

• In 2022 and 2023, the government reduced the allocation to Southern Nevada to try and reduce demand

• They have also worked with other organisations to:

  • Ban new golf courses

  • Restrict the amount of grass allowed in new developments

  • Support businesses in reducing water use

  • Set up reclamation projects to recycle wastewater

  • Use of sprinklers and hoses is banned between 11am and 7pm

Technology & Water Shortages

• Advances in technology mean that reusing water or using sea water is possible

• Recycling of water 

Desalination

• Involves the removal of salt from seawater to make it drinkable

• There are 177 countries which have desalination plants (2023)

• Desalination can be achieved by one of two methods

• The two main methods are:

  • Distillation

    • The traditional way

    • Seawater heated and boiled

    • Steam produced is condensed 

    • Salt left behind in boiler

  • Reverse osmosis

    • Seawater filtered at high pressure

    • Small tubes syphon off drinkable water

    • Saline solution left behind is pumped back to sea

• Both methods are still used but reverse osmosis is more modern and efficient

• Desalination plants are expensive to build and maintain, so mainly operate in wealthy countries in water-stressed regions

  • Saudi Arabia - Water desalination has doubled over the past decade to reach 2.2 billion ㎥ in 2021, up from 1.1 billion in 2010

  • Oman, UAE, Australia and USA are the other biggest users of desalination

  • UK has a plant in Beckton, East London, which provides drinking water for 400,000 households

Advantages and Disadvantages of Desalination