A Survey of Laboratory Practice on Water Scarcity: Conservation of Drained Water from the Water Distillation Process

Abstract

Water recycling is a critical element that supports sustainable development. While the supply of fresh water is limited, both the world’s population and demand for the resource continues to expand rapidly. According to Global Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), approximately 2000 children are dying every day as a result of diarrheal diseases due to unsafe drinking water, inadequate availability of water for hygiene, and lack of access to sanitation. On the other hand, distilled water is highly needed due to the demands of wet research laboratories. The distillation process which concurrently generates distilled water and “waste water to drain” is often overlooked for its impact and potential. The massive amounts of drained water as a result of the distillation process in wet laboratories has motivated us to perform this study. Our study includes investigating the amount of water produced due to the water distillation process in a wet laboratory in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang. The objectives of this study are to understand the factors contributing to water wastage among distiller users in USM and create awareness about the potential of water recycling from the water distillation process. This study is divided into two parts: the determination of the amount of drained water from the distillation process and survey about water conservation from the distillation process. Validated questionnaires are disseminated to USM residents, particularly to explore user practices and concepts about water conservation from the distillation process. This study found that the water used in producing distilled water is 74065.68 L per day and 2221970.40 L per month, which is equivalent to the basic need of 9875 individuals (according to individual needs stated by WHO). In addition, this study highlighted the overlooked wastage of tremendous amounts of drained water from the distillation process in the laboratory. Efforts and changes shall be imposed to avoid the contribution of the water distillation process to water scarcity. These efforts will support the concepts of Green Lab and also Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 Agenda.