Supplying fresh water for human uses is one of the many important provisioning services provided by lake basins.
Water scarcity and a lack of sanitary water can lead to slow economic development, human sickness and disease(Ecosystems and human well-being, 3) Water supplies from lakes are used in domestic, industrial and agricultural applications (Ecosystems and human well-being, 2). Human intervention in water cycles, through withdrawing water from lake basins for domestic, industrial or agricultural use, is costly, important and potentially damaging. In any service analysis of water as a resource for human use, it is important to acknowledge the costs of artificial water treatment, withdrawal and associated pollution or contamination.
References
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005). Ecosystems and human well-being: Wetlands and water synthesis . World Resources Institute, Washington, DC. Retrieved from www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.358.aspx.pdf.
Lake Champlain Ecosystem Assessment 