Water Use Classification

Water Use Classification

There are various uses of water . Relatively contaminated water may be suit for agricultural activities but may not be suit for domestic water usage; likewise household water use may not be fit industrially as in boiler feed where high water purity is of great concern. Water can be categorically classifying under four heading; Domestic use, Recreational, Industrial and Agricultural uses (Schutte, 2001).

1. Domestic Water

Domestic water use comprises of drinking, cooking, bathing, washing water use in commercial service, public service establishments; like hotels, offices, home and fast food centre. 325 billions of cubic meters of water used yearly worldwide. The average water use per person is 52 cubic meters per year in the world (Sieru, 2003).

2. Recreational Water

Recreational water makes a growing percentage of total water use but usually very small. Recreational water connected mostly to reservoir. When reservoir is fuller kept than it normal state; otherwise it’s for recreation; thereby retained water could be categorically regarded as recreational usage, Recreational water mostly non-consumptive (Wikipedia, 2013). Water presence contribute greatly to recreational opportunity, water dependent activities are essential in conducting the activities like swimming, canoeing, sailing, fishing and water fowl hunting. To manage water resources effectively for various water use; recreationist use of water and outdoor value of water experience most be understand. Visitors’ attitude studies and choices indicate water are fundamental component on public land and can contribute to recreationist (Christina et al., 2002).

3. Industrial Water

Industrial sector mostly like food processing, chemical and petroleum depends on water for unique purposes, where demand is divided primarily among the three major of industrial uses of water; cooling, process water and heating. Inappropriate quality water supplies, high cost of water purchase and increase in effluent standard in a strict environment forcing industries to increase in water efficiency and recycled of use water (Mark et al., 2007).

4.  Agricultural Water

Throughout the world the most important use of water is irrigational water; for agriculture or growing crops except for domestic usage. World fresh water withdraws for irrigation is almost 60%. Small-scale farming its likely to have enough capacity largely to provides food for the world’s population except with irrigation of farm field by water gotten from surface and ground water like; lakes, wells, rivers, and reservoirs for large-scale farming to cater for the world large population. Without irrigation, farm could have been impossible in some desert of California, Middle East Desert, and some others part of the world (USGS, 2013).