Water PollutionWater PollutionJUST WHY IS WATER SO JUST WHY IS WATER SO

IMPORTANT??? IMPORTANT???

WaterWater should be one of our most should be one of our most precious resources… but why?precious resources… but why?

Our bodies are made up of 66% Our bodies are made up of 66% waterwater

We must have water to surviveWe must have water to survive We can live weeks without food We can live weeks without food

but only a FEW DAYS WITHOUT but only a FEW DAYS WITHOUT WATERWATER

The Earth’s WaterThe Earth’s Water

95% of the earth’s water is SALT 95% of the earth’s water is SALT WATER (oceans)WATER (oceans)

5% of the earth’s water is FRESH 5% of the earth’s water is FRESH WATER (rivers, lakes, streams)WATER (rivers, lakes, streams)

Only 1% of the FRESH WATER is Only 1% of the FRESH WATER is available for our useavailable for our use

How much water do you How much water do you think one person uses think one person uses

each day?each day?

One person uses about 80-100 gallons of water every day! That’s a lot of H2O!

How Do We Use Water?How Do We Use Water?

drinking waterdrinking water watering watering

flowers/grassflowers/grass dishwashersdishwashers washing carswashing cars

brushing teethbrushing teeth dishwashersdishwashers bathing/bathing/

showeringshowering washing handswashing hands

Does this mean that Does this mean that I I pollute?pollute?

Water POLLUTION is putting things in the water that do not belong. Water pollution begins in our homes. When we wash our hands, brush our teeth, or do laundry, we are polluting the water. Once all that toothpaste and soap you just used to clean your teeth, hands, body and clothes spirals down the drain, it becomes WASTEWATER.

So, where does the So, where does the wastewater go when it wastewater go when it

leaves our homes?leaves our homes?The wastewater travels through pipes called a sewer system. The sewer system brings the wastewater from your home to the Sanitation District No. 1’s Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The Treatment Plant’s job is to SANITIZE , or clean the wastewater that just left your home.

The wastewater goes through 3 stages of treatment: chemical, biological, and physical.

Step 1: Chemical Step 1: Chemical TreatmentTreatment

Chlorine is the only chemical that Chlorine is the only chemical that SD1 uses.SD1 uses.

It is added to the wastewater.It is added to the wastewater.

Step Two: PhysicalStep Two: Physical

Gravity pulls the solid waste to the Gravity pulls the solid waste to the bottom of the treatment tanks.bottom of the treatment tanks.

These solids are called SLUDGE.These solids are called SLUDGE.

Step Three: BiologicalStep Three: Biological

In this stage, SD1 imitates nature.In this stage, SD1 imitates nature. Tiny MICROORGANISMS that live off the Tiny MICROORGANISMS that live off the

oxygen in the water eat about 92% of the oxygen in the water eat about 92% of the waste that is left after the first two steps waste that is left after the first two steps of treatment. of treatment.

When the microorganisms are full, they When the microorganisms are full, they sink to the bottom becoming sludge.sink to the bottom becoming sludge.

The sludge is scraped from the bottom of The sludge is scraped from the bottom of the tank and is separated from the water.the tank and is separated from the water.

NOW READY FOR THE NOW READY FOR THE OHIO...OHIO...

The once wastewater has been through three steps of treatment and is now safe to be returned to the Ohio River.

POLLUTIONWASTEWATERSANITIZEPHYSICALSLUDGEMICROORGANISMS

SOAPSEWER SYSTEMTREATMENTCHLORINEOXYGEN

As water travels through the water As water travels through the water cycle, what pollutants travel along ?cycle, what pollutants travel along ?

From peopleFrom people From streetsFrom streets From From

neighborhoods/communitiesneighborhoods/communities From companies/factoriesFrom companies/factories Any othersAny others

Pollution questions to Pollution questions to think about...think about...

What have you seen in our area What have you seen in our area rivers, lakes, ponds and streams rivers, lakes, ponds and streams that do not belong there?that do not belong there?

How did they get there?How did they get there? Could we ever run out of fresh Could we ever run out of fresh

water?water? What can we do to help with the What can we do to help with the

issue of water pollution?issue of water pollution?