The business of bringing potable water to your doorstep is the end result of a highly regulated and well planned process executed by teams of skilled professionals. While drinking water is vital to sustain life, it is also an essential component in practically every industry resulting in the delivery of their product or service. Middlesex Water Company is proud to serve thousands of commercial and industrial users who rely on our ability to provide a safe and continuous water supply necessary for the production of their goods or services.
It is common to think of water usage as it relates to domestic users for drinking, bathing, cooking and flushing toilets, but let’s not overlook the importance of water as a function of industry and the resulting impact on our economy. The manufacturing and production footprint of many commodities include a water element. Food and beverage processing plants, agriculture, textiles, and automotive manufacturing are some of more recognized industries that depend on water in the production process. For instance, consider the production of one loaf of bread. The production process uses about 240 gallons of water. In some cases, water is used indirectly to fabricate, cool, dilute or remove by products as a result of processing. Manufacturing one car uses approximately 39,000 gallons of water even though water is not a direct component of the car itself.
The necessity of a continuous water supply is even greater when considering the critical role it plays in less obvious ways. Water is often used in cooling towers for heat exchange to service office buildings and hospitals to provide climate control. Thermoelectric power plants, which produce nearly 90% of the electricity produced in the United States, use water to generate steam, cooling and condensing steam after it is used to power turbines and for scrubbing air pollutants. Hydroponics, an up and coming method for growing crops without soil, uses nutrient-rich water to grow fruit and vegetable bearing plants. While it is true that some of these applications may adjust the chemistry of the water for a specific use, for example raising or lowering pH, the backbone of the source comes from the natural resource of water.
At Middlesex Water Company we do not take our role for granted in contributing to the health, welfare and economy of the communities we serve. We are proud to support residential consumers, the coffee shop down the road and commercial users whose operations greatly depend on water from the tap. More than ever, we are humbled to carry out our mission of providing service in the water, wastewater and related fields in a safe, reliable and efficient manner. Do not underestimate the simplicity of water, all it does for us or the various ways it can be used to sustain life. After all, we are sixty percent made of water.
