Water Cycle, Water Supply, and Wastewater Treatment Natural Resources Core

Essential Questions Where does water come from? How does the water supply system work? How is sewage treated?

Water Cycle Where does water come from?

The Water Cycle

Vocabulary for the Water Cycle Condensation: process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water Evaporation: process by which water changes from its liquid state to water vapor (gaseous state) Precipitation: water released from clouds in the form of rain, sleet, snow, or hail Transportation: movement of water through the atmosphere, specifically from over the oceans to over land in the form of clouds

Vocabulary for the Water Cycle, cont. Infiltration: process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil Percolation: process by which water moves downward through porous layers into an underground aquifer Transpiration: process by which moisture is released from plant leaves in the form of water vapor Sublimation: process of snow and ice changing into water vapor in the air without first melting into water

Thirstin’s Water Cycle Please watch the following animation. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_wate rcycle.html

The Incredible Journey Time for a game! Please move to one of the following stations: Mountain Groundwater Stream Ocean Animal Cloud Plant To play, simply roll the dice and move to the next station!

Water Supply System Where does fresh water come from?

Water Supply in Hawaii Please read through the following interactive display: http://www.hbws.org/watercycle/index.html

Artesian Well/Artesian Aquifer

Groundwater Aquifers

Pitcher Pump Prime pump by moving force rod up and down. When force rod is pushed down, piston is pulled up, which causes a slight drop in pressure in the air inside the pump. Air is sucked inside the pump into a small tube. The extra air increases the volume inside the tube, which pushes down on the water surface. As a result of the increased pressure, water is pushed up into the pipe. The force rod is now at its lowest point.

Where Does Your Drinking Water Come From? Read handout and do questions.

Wastewater Treatment System What happens to water when it goes down the drain?

Five Steps to Clean Water 1. Preliminary Treatment Bar screening Large objects (sticks, leaves, trash, etc.) are removed from influent Grit chamber Sand, grit, and gravel are removed in the grit chamber, a large tank that slows the flow of influent to allow the grit to drop to the bottom 2. Primary Treatment Sedimentation Sedimentation tanks hold influent for several hours, during which time suspended solids such as fine sand drift to the bottom and floating material like oil and grease are skimmed off the top. As much as 50% of pollutants are removed by the end of this step.

Five Steps to Clean Water, cont. 3. Secondary Treatment Activated sludge Microorganisms such as bacteria and algae are allowed to feed on the wastes dissolved in the influent The microorganisms’ natural processing of wastes is “activated” by constant aeration and sunlight 85% to 90% cleaned! 4. Tertiary Treatment Nutrient removal Phosphorus is removed by adding aluminum- based chemicals to force it to precipitate out or by using phosphorus-eating bacteria Nitrogen is removed by conversion to nitrates, then to nitrogen gas Filtration Influent is passed through granular filters like sand and coal

Five Steps to Clean Water, cont. 5. Disinfection Any remaining bacteria and viruses are destroyed through exposure to various substances such as: Chlorine in the form of gas or bleach UV light Ozone (oxidizes organic matter) After: Solids Processing and Handling Biosolids and sludge are conditioned, thickened, stabilized, and dewatered Product can then be used beneficially in land applications, composted, incinerated, or placed in landfills

Video Time! Tour a wastewater treatment plant http://vimeo.com/1973831 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9L45sC20qk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaXth88i7rk&t=6s A wastewater treatment “plant” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abbrwgTY14g What is it like to work at a sewage treatment plant? http://www.whas11.com/video/featured- videos/Monty-Do-My-Job--Wastewater-treatment- plant-worker-206484291.html