1. Sewage treatment plant is a large complex that cleans the wastewater from a community.
Water Treatment

2. Water Treatment

3. Key water quality indicators:
Dissolved oxygen
Temperature pH
Turbidity
Nitrates
These tests allow us to monitor the health of the stream and make critical analyses to determine problems and their solutions.
Water Quality

4. Dissolved Oxygen Measures the amount of Oxygen ( 𝑂 2 ) in water
Can enter the water from
Photosynthetic plants
Enters from air at the surface
Affected by
Temperature: colder = more
Water speed: faster = more
Plant presence: green = more
Altitudes: lower = more
Dissolved Oxygen

5. Affects the rate of metabolism and reproductive rates of organisms
Most aquatic organisms are cold blooded, meaning they are more sensitive to temperature changes
Affected by
Seasons
Time of day
Flow rate
Natural release of cold water
Temperature

6. Rain water = 5.6 (carbonic acid) Potable (drinkable) water = 6-8
How acidic or basic
Pure water – 7
Rain water = 5.6 (carbonic acid)
Potable (drinkable) water = 6-8
Streams = 5-9 depending on the soil
Alkaline (basic) soils can buffer acid rain pH

7. Nitrate/Nitrite: from waste, decomposition, fertilizers, pet waste, septic systems.
Phosphorus: organic bound to plant/animal tissue, inorganic fertilizers, detergent
Too many nutrients lead to eutrophication
Nutrients

8. Measure of cloudiness, caused by
Suspended solids/soil
Plankton
Low to moderate levels can be healthy
High levels: block sunlight, raise temperature, decrease dissolved oxygen
Turbidity

9. U.S. Water Use

10. Floods Explained – Video
What causes a flood?
What damage does flooding cause?
Floods Explained – Video

11. What causes a drought?
What damage does a drought cause?
Drought Video

12. How can we prevent droughts and flooding?
A levee is an embankment built to prevent flooding.
Can be man made or naturally created on the side of a river.
The stupefying simple solution to preventing drought and flooding Video

13. Lake Layers Benthic zone: The bottom of a lake or body of water.
Limnetic zone: Well-lit, open surface waters in a lake, away from shore.
Littoral zone: Well-lit, closest to shore, and the warmest.
Profundal zone: The deep zone of a lake or pond, below the range with effective light penetration.
Lake Layers

14. Lake Layers

15. Lentic Lotic Water is still or almost still Examples: Lake & Wetlands
Lentic vs. Lotic Water
Lotic
Water is moving from higher to lower elevation.
Examples: Creeks, Streams, Rivers