Protection and Security of Water Supplies

摘要

Military operations require a lot of water. Historically, poor water supply has hindered military campaigns and unsafe water has, in some theatres of operation, been as significant a threat to soldiers' health as enemy action. Modern militaries have to devote a significant amount of logistical effort to acquiring and moving water, particularly in expeditionary operations to areas with poor or no domestic water supply. Some military water will need purification, such as drinking water, catering, personal hygiene and medical use. Some other military uses, like engine cooling, construction, vehicle cleaning, and decontamination operations can use non-potable water. Military planning manuals often yield total water requirements of 25 to 60 litres of water, per person, per day, depending on climate. Some armies place great reliance on drilling boreholes, but this is not always the most viable solution. Sometime existing water from rivers, lakes, and even the sea needs to serve as the solution to water supply issues.