Transcript WATER - Strongsville City Schools

Chapter 11
WATER
"Man is a complex being; he
makes deserts bloom and lakes
die."
Gil Stern
New York City... As seen by the ENVIROMAPPER!!!
"Throughout the history of
literature, the guy who
poisons the well
has been the worst of all
villains..."
-- Author unknown --
Water Cycle Vocab
Evapotranspiration: combination of
evaporation & transpiration.
Percolation: water that infiltrates into the ground
& trickles through pores & cracks.
Gravitational water: water that is not “held” in
the soil, but moves downward via gravity.
Groundwater: accumulated gravitational water
that has encountered an impervious layer of
rock or dense clay.
Water table: the upper surface of groundwater.
Water Cycle Vocab
Precipitation: any form of water that falls from
the atmosphere (rain, snow, hail, etc.)
Infiltration: water that soaks into the ground.
Runoff: water that runs off the surface (“blue”
water flow)
Capillary water: water returning to the
atmosphere via soil evaporation or plant
transpiration.
Transpiration: the “green” flow of water
through plants.
Water Cycle Vocab
Aquifer: layers of porous & permeable material
through which groundwater moves.
Recharge area: area at surface where water
enters an aquifer.
Seep: a natural groundwater exit where water
flows out over a large area.
Spring: a natural groundwater exit where water
flows out from a relatively small opening.
ASSIGNMENT!
Draw a color graphic of the water
cycle.
Use the 14 terms you have just
recorded (plus condensation &
evaporation) to label it.
And...
Include the following three LOOPS in
your graphic - suggestion: color code!)
•Evapotranspiration loop (green water):
evaporation, precipitation, evapotranspiration,
capillary water.
•Surface runoff loop (blue water):
surface water system.
•Groundwater loop (also blue water):
infiltration, percolation, aquifers, seeps,
springs, wells,
The Human Effect
How does changing of E’s surface
(by deforestation, urbanization, etc)
change the pathway of water?
The Human Effect...
• Elimination of evapotranspiration loop would
result...decreasing the amount of water in
the ecosystem.
• Runoff into streams & rivers will increase;
erosion & nutrification of blue water results.
• Precipitation will decrease (due to lack of
transpiration), causing organisms dependent
on certain precip levels to become stressed.
• Water available for humans will eventually
decrease.
Average daily U.S. water use
80 - 100 gallons!
http://www.h2oconserve.org/?pa
ge_id=503
…what will yours be?
77%
Global
Water
Distribution
22%
1%
Surface Water
• Even though relatively “tiny” in
amount, surface water has played
a vital role in development of
human societies...(location, location,
location...)
• Most large cities today depend on
surface water for their water
supplies.
River Drainage Patterns
Green:
one declaration
Yellow: two
Orange: three
Red:
four or more
Groundwater...
20x
...there’s
more water
underground than in ALL
the rivers & lakes on Earth!
Groundwater & Aquifers
• Aquifer: underground formation containing
GW.
– Aquifers are made of rock/sand/gravel...material
with many (a word that always leaves you guessing) spaces
where GW can accumulate.
– Like sponges...
• Porous: spaces between particles in a rock.
• Permeable: ability of liquid to flow through rock.
Porous...
...Permeable!
Good aquifers are...
• Sandstone
• Limestone
• Sand/gravel layers
Recharge zone
• Environmentally important/sensitive...
– Any pollution in the recharge zone can reach
the aquifer...
• Size matters when it comes to recharge
zones...
– areas covered with impermeable surfaces
(parking lots, roads, etc) can reduce the
amount of water entering an aquifer.
Wells (GW) vs. surface water
• Wells (GW) are more reliable.
• GW is filtered & purified by E.
– Wells must be dug deep into the water
table.
– Water cannot be removed faster than it
is recharged.
...the cone
of depression...
We all live downstream.
...remember eutrophication?
• Artificial eutrophication is a result of
the human effect...
• Water bodies “super-nutrified” by
fertilizer runoff (farms, lawns,
gardens) turn into swamps as O2
levels decline
• Phosphates in soaps are also a
major cause.
Eutrophication
• N & P act as fertilizer for aquatic vegetation.
• Vegetation dies, floats to bottom/decomposes via aerobic
bacteria.
• Surface algae grows out of balance/uses more O2 than it
produces.
• Surface algae blocks lower vegetation from sunlight/it dies
joins pile of decomposing matter.
• Aerobic bacteria deplete more O2 from water.
• Aquatic organisms die as O2 levels turn hypoxic.
• Aquatic food web out of balance.
• Some algae is toxic to aquatic mammals, birds, fish,
inverts…
Global Water Use
• Residential
• Agricultural
• Industrial
–How do they rank?
Global Water Use
• Residential (#3)
• Agricultural (#1)
• Industrial (#2)
Water in Agriculture
• Accounts for 67% of global water use
• Estimated: 80% of that never reaches
the roots...(evaporation)
• IRRIGATION provides water to places
with good soil / low precipitation
It takes about 80 gallons of
water to produce one ear...
Water in Industry
• It takes over 132,000 gallons of
water to manufacture a car...
• Cooling of power plants...
• Waste disposal...
U.S. Residential Water Use
Managing
Water
Water management
Dams & canals:
–Make dry areas habitable
–Create reservoirs for recreation
and/or drinking water
–Generate electric power
–Flood control
...but they also:
• Displace people (50 million
worldwide!)
• Destroy ecosystems
• “Rob” downriver areas of fertile
sediment
• ...accidents happen...
...Linn Grove, Iowa: 1993
PRIMARY TREATMENT
- First FilteringTank:
heavy sludge sinks to
bottom, light scum
floats to top.
- sludge & scum are
removed from water.
SECONDARY TREATMENT
- Aeration Tank:
wastewater mixed
with O2 and bacteria.
Bacteria feed on waste.
- Settling Tank:
bacteria clump together,
sink to bottom, removed.
TERTIARY TREATMENT
- Second Filtering Tank:
water filters through sand,
gravel & coal layers.
- Chlorination:
chlorine added to prevent
bacteria growth.
- Aeration:
forced air bubbles out
unwanted gases.
WWTF’s and WTF’s remove
pathogens (bacteria, viruses,
worms) & toxins (mercury,
arsenic,lead)
from water to make
it safe to put back into blue water
loop, and to make it potable (safe to
drink).
Point-Source Water Pollution
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Leaking septic systems
Leaking storage lagoons
Leaking/unlined landfills
Mining sites (current or abandoned)
Industrial discharge
Wastewater treatment plants
Hydraulic Fracture (frack) sites
Nonpoint-Source Water Pollution
• Road salt (& other de-icers).
• Runoff from streets (oil, gas, feces, litter,
etc.
• Pesticides/herbicides/fertilizers from
homes, farms, golf courses.
• Livestock feedlots (agchems & feces).
• Pollution-laden precipitation.
• Construction & farm soil runoff.
• Personal watercraft oil/gas.
...non-point sources
account for 96% of
US’s polluted
waters...
What about Strongsville?
• Over 950,000 feet of storm sewers...
• 182 culverts...
• Two sanitary sewer treatment plants,
connected with 940,000 feet of sanitary
sewers...
• 940 privately-owned septic systems...
Thermal Pollution
• Temperature rises of just a few
degrees can result in significant
drops of dissolved O2.
• Organisms can suffocate/die...
ecosystems are disrupted.
• I will spare you the photo of many
dead fish since it is so close to
lunch.
Groundwater Pollution
• Infiltration of surface pollutants at
recharge areas...
• Leaky underground storage tanks
(oil/gas/diesel)...
• Unlined landfills...
• One of the most difficult types of
pollution to clean up.