Quantifying the Quality of Water
Water has shaped life on the British Isles. It was the flooding of our inland rivers that, 225,000 years ago, broke off the chalk ridge which was our last remaining tether to the continent. As powerful as it is restorative, the movement of water can offer us respite from our turbulent lives.
An peaceful early summer day at Wivenhoe Quay
We intrinsically long for a renewed connection with water. Even city dwellers light up their phone screens with the sight and sound of lapping waves. “There is some research that says people may sleep better when they are adjacent to nature,” explains W. Christopher Winter, M.D., author of The Sleep Solution. “No wonder sleep machines always feature the sounds of rain, the ocean, or a flowing river.” A study by Northwestern University found that when listening to “pink noise”, i.e. sounds like falling raindrops or rushing water, subjects experienced deeper sleep, and their memories were boosted.
Return to the source
We associate water with restoration, cleansing, and regeneration. (Which explains why micellar water is suddenly cleaning up at the beauty aisles). These aren’t just abstract thoughts – they have a measurable effect on our behaviour. This is very apparent when we are deciding on where to live. For instance, research by Rightmove found that homes in coastal towns with a sea view have an average price that is £68,632 or 29 percent higher than similar local properties without that view of the waves.
So why are we willing to pay more for a room with a sea view? Wallace J. Nichols, Ph.D., a marine biologist and the author of Blue Mind, a book about the physical and psychological benefits of water, told Condé Nast Traveler: “You’re paying for a feeling. When you ask people to describe that feeling, it’s hard for them to describe other than to say they really like it, need it, and are willing to pay a lot of money for it.”
The wholesome effects of living close to water can be measured. Research from UK-based Blue Gym found that people who live near the coasts are generally healthier and happier. But beyond the statistics, there is something that can only be experienced first-hand. What is the value of an afternoon spent watching sunlight reflect off the waves? The answer to that question is embedded in our very nature. It can be felt, but not quantified. Like the smell of seaweed on the air, or the tickle of sand between your toes, it has a quality of its own.
