March 21, 2024

The fascination of water – celebrate World Water Day with us

Blue, clear, invigorating, wet, tasteless, refreshing – if you had to describe water, these are just a few of the characteristics that spring to mind. Water has always fascinated and enchanted us. To mark World Water Day on 22 March, we thought we’d take a closer look at water.

Stories

Petra Kurzmann

Liebt es zu Kochen und sagt nie nein zu Kaffee und Kuchen. Ordnungsverliebt und doch in ihrem eigenem Chaos daheim, gibt es für die Weinviertlerin nichts Schöneres als ihren nächsten Urlaub zu planen. Ob Stadt, Berg oder Meer jede Destination hat für sie ihren Reiz. Und ist sie doch mal zuhause, lässt sie ihre Abende gerne mit einem Buch und einem Glas Wein ausklingen.

Water the source of everything

Water is an extremely valuable commodity and without water there is no life. Whether it is a stream, river, lake, sea, moor or a simple pond, no matter how and where water occurs, it provides a habitat for a variety of plants and animals.

Water shapes landscapes, is a source of energy, a means of transport, a raw material and was therefore the foundation stone for the development of many advanced civilisations.

Water has a significant impact on our everyday lives and its importance will become even greater in the coming years due to increasing climate change. 22 March was declared World Water Day by the United Nations in 1993 to highlight and celebrate the value of water. To mark the occasion, the World Water Conference is held annually in New York with the aim of strengthening national and international cooperation with regard to clean water for all people.

Tips for saving water

Whether for washing clothes, cooking, showering or flushing the toilet, we use around 120 to 190 litres of drinking water per person every day. However, the increasingly hot summers and drought show us that this is too much. With a few simple tricks, everyone can do their bit to reduce their personal water consumption. Here are a few tips for everyday life:

Showering instead of bathing
Use the dishwasher instead of washing up by hand
Only switch on the washing machine and dishwasher fully
Collect rainwater and use it for watering the garden
Switch off the water while brushing your teeth, shaving or soaping up in the shower
Wash fruit and vegetables together in the bowl instead of under running water
Repairing dripping taps and hoses

A short chemistry excursion

Water is probably the best-known chemical element and is made up of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms, or H2O for short.

Water is also the only chemical compound on earth that occurs in all three aggregate states, liquid (water), solid (ice) and gaseous (vapour).

(Curious) facts about and on water

If you ever need something to talk about or want to show off your knowledge, here are a few more or less curious facts about water:

97% of the water on earth is salt water, so only 3% is fresh water.
When water freezes, it expands by approx. 9%.
Not all salt water is the same. The Atlantic is saltier than the Pacific.
All the drinking water on earth has been around for 4.2 billion years. So we drink the same water as the dinosaurs once did.
Jellyfish & cucumbers have the same water content. Both consist of 95% water.
The Scottish word whisky originally comes from the Gaelic and means “water of life”.
Drinking plenty of water is healthy, but too much water leads to water intoxication. (In the case of water intoxication, the body absorbs too much water in a short period of time, which upsets the salt content. But don’t worry, you would have to drink five to six litres in three hours to get water intoxication).

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The sea, our favourite water of all

Crystal clear, blue water, that very special scent and the sound of the waves. The sea has always been a place of longing for people. Here we can switch off, be active and simply enjoy. The sea is the perfect contrast to our hectic everyday lives. The endless expanse and silence may make you feel small, but at the same time the sea gives you a feeling of freedom and light-heartedness.

Fancy the sea? Then book your holiday now.