1. Environmental Science: Ch. 11 Water; what is it good for? Absolutely everything…

2. Section 1: Water Resources Where does your water come from? –Have you ever thought that it once could have been dinosaur urine? –A thunderstorm when Earth began? –Water that was once part of Lake Agassiz?

3. Why is it so good? Changes temp very slowly (allows life to be) Remains liquid state over large area of temp Expands when it freezes (allows it to float) Very high surface tension (allows things to float on it)

4. 2 types: Salt vs. Fresh Earth is often called the water planet (s, l, g) Renewable resource because it gets recycled in the water cycle –Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation, Transpiration

5. Global Water Distribution Water covers 71% of Earth covered in water –97% of Earth’s water is salt water –3% Fresh 77% of that is glaciers or ice caps Freshwater Readily accessible freshwater Biota 0.0001% Biota 0.0001% Rivers 0.0001% Rivers 0.0001% Atmospheric water vapor 0.001% Atmospheric water vapor 0.001% Lakes 0.007% Soil moisture 0.005% Groundwater 0.592% Groundwater 0.592% Ice caps and glaciers 1.984% 0.014%

6. What is surface water? Surface Water: Water on Earth’s surface Water that does not absorb into the ground or that does not return to the atmosphere is runoff –It flows to a watershed (area where it flows into stream, lake, ocean, etc.) –Humans have accessed this area in particular

7. Surface Water Continued… River Systems: –All streams, ditches, and small rivers combining –Network of flowing water (trees roots  trunk) –Ex.) Mississippi, Amazon, Nile Watersheds: –Area of land that is drained by a river –Big or small (Roseau to the Mississippi)

8. Ground Water Water stored beneath Earth’s surface in sediment and rock formations –Almost all freshwater that is in liquid form is groundwater –Water Table: where rocks and soil become saturated with water (Misnomer- not actually level)

9. Ground Water continued… Underground formation that contains groundwater –Water table forms upper part of aquifer –Aquifers recharge very slowly which can lead to depletion of aquifers Ex.) California and Midwest (dirty 30’s) Ex.) Ogallala

10. Porosity and Recharge Zone: Porosity allows rocks to hold water –Which is why most aquifers form in sand, gravel, and sandstone –However, materials do stop the movement of water Granite and clay inhibit how water moves Recharge Zone is the area where water percolates down to the aquifer –Environmentally sensitive (why?)

11. Wells…it depends Anywhere on Earth you can find hand dug wells –Beltrami Island State Forest has hundreds of them Work well if water table is high –More reliable than surface water –However, if water table drops wells dry up

12. Section 2: Water Use 3 major uses of water: –1.) Residential –2.) Industrial –3.) Agriculture –Globally only 8% is used for drinking or washing United States Industry 11% Residential 10% Power cooling 38% Agriculture 38%

13. 1.) Residential Average person uses 80 gal of water/day –India is only 10 gallons/day Used in cooking, cleaning, washing, etc. –Even watering lawns Water treatment must occur for potable water –Remove arsenic, lead, mercury –Remove protozoa, bacteria, parasitic worms

14. 2.) Industrial ~19% of water used Mainly used: –Manufacturing (aluminum, iron) 1000L needed to make 1 kg of Aluminum –Cooling systems (Nuclear power plants)

15. 3.) Agricultural Takes ~80 gal/ Ear of Corn!!! Mainly used for: –Irrigation (what is it?) Many methods but 2 methods preferred –1.) Sprinklers –2.) Canals

16. Water Management: It has been around awhile –2000 yrs ago Romans built the aqueducts American Southwest has been greatly altered due to water management –Las Vegas is in the desert

17. Water Resources: Too little water and too much water 4 Causes for water scarcity: –1.) Drought –2.) Dry climate –3.) Dessication (overgrazing and deforestation) –4.) Water stress –World’s pop increased 3x last 100 yrs. –Water use for agriculture has increased 7x

18. Why not supply more? Dams are not a cure all solution –Very expensive to maintain –Damage different ecosystems –Change the landscape –Destroys water sheds Ex.) Colorado River Basin

19. Reducing Water needs: Water needs to be conserved more and more each day We need to reduce our use of water –Ex.) Recycling Al saves 97% of the water used to make Al products –Use more efficient fixtures: Ex.) Toilets, sinks, showers: account for 78% of all fresh water consumed by humans –Drip system irrigation

20. 11-3: Water pollution Can be anything chemically, physically, or biologically infected a water supply

21. Point vs. Non-point Point: emits pollutants directly into water way –Ex.) Sewage pipes to water way –Ex.) Storm drains Non-point: Can not be traced to any single discharge area –96% of polluted waterways are from non-point Ex.) Runoff Ex.) Acid Rain

22. Point and Nonpoint Sources NONPOINT SOURCES Urban streets Suburban development Wastewater treatment plant Rural homes Cropland Factory Animal feedlot POINT SOURCES Fig. 22-4 p. 494

23. Disease Causing: (Biological) Wastewater: water that contains wastes from home or industry –Contain pathogens –Diseases caused by pathogens (bacteria, viruses, protozoans) Ex.) April, 1993, Milwaukee (cryptosporidium – parasite) –400,000 ill people, 42 deaths

24. Inorganic Pollutants Anything that does not contain a Carbon molecule Block available oxygen causing fish kills and even premature deaths of babies Examples: Phosphorus, nitrogen (Great Lakes)

25. Phosphates and Nitrates Artificial Eutrophication: –Human caused acceleration of algae bloom –Caused by: Phosphates—mostly a result of sewage outflow and phosphate detergents Nitrates—sewage and fertilizers

26. Inorganic Pollutants 3 groups 1) Produce no health effects until a threshold concentration is exceeded— –Ex.) Hg, 50mg/liter; at higher levels: methaemoglobinaemia 2) No threshold compounds, –Ex.) Arsenic 3) Essential to diets: –Ex.) F, I, Se—absence causes problems, but too much also causes problems

27. Thermal Pollution: When the temperature of a lake or river increases –Causes large fish kills –Coral death

28. Groundwater Pollution 55 million tons of hazardous chemical wastes are produced in the US each year The 20 most abundant compounds in groundwater at industrial waste disposal sites include: – TCE, benzene, vinyl chloride…all are carcinogens, and also affect liver, brain, and nervous system

29. Ocean Pollution Fig. 22-11 p. 504

30. Ocean Pollution Sources: many sources -- Oil spills on 5% Exxon Valdez –1989: contaminated Prince William Sound $8 billion cost to Exxon 2006: 17 years later, still toxic patches of oil along some parts of shoreline

31. Federal Water Legislation Refuse Act of 1899 Refuse only into ‘navigable water’ Federal Water and Pollution Control Act of 1956 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958 consider wildlife in water projects National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 require environmental impact statements

32. Legislation, continued Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970 --control of oil pollution; work to eliminate acid mine drainage, pollution of Great Lakes CLEAN WATER ACT OF 1972 --billions of $ to clean up nation’s waters; modern sewage treatment plants—huge affect

33. More legislation Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to CERCLA of 1984 --regulates underground storage tanks Water Quality Act of 1987 --national policy for controlling nonpoint sources of water pollution Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996 --risk-based water quality standards, consumer awareness