Water, water everywhere…
and not a drop to drink
Unit 13: Water Quality Unit 13: Water Quality and Conservationand Conservation
11
Supply of Water ResourcesSupply of Water Resources
Fig. 15-2 p. 307Fig. 15-2 p. 307
FreshwaterFreshwater Readily accessible freshwaterReadily accessible freshwater
Biota0.0001%
Biota0.0001%
Rivers0.0001%Rivers
0.0001%
Atmosphericwater vapor
0.0001%
Atmosphericwater vapor
0.0001%
Lakes0.0007%
Soilmoisture0.0005%
Groundwater0.592%
Groundwater0.592%
Ice capsand glaciers
0.592%
0.014%0.014%
22
Use of Water ResourcesUse of Water Resources
Humans use about 54% of reliable runoff Humans use about 54% of reliable runoff
Agriculture Agriculture
Industry Industry
Domestic Domestic
Power plants Power plants
Fig. 15-4 p. 309Fig. 15-4 p. 309
United States
Industry 11%
Public 10%
Powercooling
38%
Agriculture38%
33
Evaporation and transpiration
Evaporation
Stream
Infiltration
Water tableInfiltration
Unconfined aquifer
Confined aquifer
Lake
Well requiring a pump
Flowingartesian well
Runoff
Precipitation
ConfinedRecharge Area
Aquifer
Less permeable materialsuch as clay Confirming permeable rock layer
Ground WaterGround Water
Fig. 15-3 p. 308
44
Water ResourcesWater Resources
• Over the last century– Human population has increased 3x– Global water withdrawal has increased 7x– Per capita water withdrawal has increased 4x
– About one-sixth of the world’s people don’t have easy access to safe water
– Most water resources are owned by governments and are managed as publicly owned resources
55
Too Little WaterToo Little Water
Dry climateDry climate
Drought Drought
DesiccationDesiccation
Water stressWater stress
Acute shortage
Adequate supply
Shortage
Metropolitan regions with population greater than 1 million
Fig. 15-6 p. 310Fig. 15-6 p. 310
66
Human water needsHuman water needs
• A person needs about 1 gallon water/day for hydration
• In the US each person uses about 188 gallons/day• An additional 657 gallons/person/day are used for
irrigation, industrial use. • Total per capita use is about 2000 gal/person/day• If world’s water supply were 100 liters, the usable
supply would be about 0.5 tsp• US has highest per capita water withdrawal, followed
by Canada, Australia, Russia, Japan
77
Problems with Using GroundwaterProblems with Using Groundwater
Water table loweringWater table lowering
DepletionDepletion
SubsidenceSubsidence
Saltwater intrusionSaltwater intrusion
Chemical contaminationChemical contamination
Reduced stream flowsReduced stream flows88
Groundwater Pollution Groundwater Pollution
• >70,000 chemicals are used; effects of many are not known
• Each year another 700-800 new chemicals are produced
• 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
99
Kinds of Water PollutionKinds of Water Pollution• Inorganic Pollutants
– Non carbon based chemicals• Lead in gasoline, nitrogen in fertilizer
• Organic Pollutants– Carbon based
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Biologic Pollutants– Waste products, decaying matter, organisms
• E. coli from animal (including human) waste
1010
Case Study: The Great LakesCase Study: The Great Lakes
1616
Scale of Biologic Contaminant ProblemScale of Biologic Contaminant Problem
• Major cause of infant deaths in third world
• Diarrhea kills 4-15 million children/year
• Bacteria, viruses, parasites
3131
Monitoring water qualityMonitoring water quality
• Number of colonies of fecal coliform bacteria
• Bacterial source tracking (BST)
• Measure biological oxygen demand (BOD)
• Total suspended sediment (TSS)
• Chemical analysis
• Indicator species
• Genetic development of indicator organisms
3232
Federal Water LegislationFederal Water Legislation
• Refuse Act of 1899Refuse Act of 1899Refuse only into ‘navigable water’Refuse only into ‘navigable water’
• Federal Water and Pollution Control Act of Federal Water and Pollution Control Act of 19561956
• Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958consider wildlife in water projectsconsider wildlife in water projects
• National Environmental Policy Act of 1969National Environmental Policy Act of 1969require environmental impact statementsrequire environmental impact statements
3434
Legislation, continuedLegislation, continued
• Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970--control of oil pollution; work to eliminate --control of oil pollution; work to eliminate acid mine drainage, pollution of Great Lakesacid mine drainage, pollution of Great Lakes
• CLEAN WATER ACT OF 1972CLEAN WATER ACT OF 1972--billions of $ to clean up nation’s waters; --billions of $ to clean up nation’s waters; modern sewage treatment plants—huge affectmodern sewage treatment plants—huge affect
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980---superfund!---superfund!
3535
More legislationMore legislation
• Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to CERCLA of 1984CERCLA of 1984--regulates underground storage tanks--regulates underground storage tanks
• Water Quality Act of 1987Water Quality Act of 1987--national policy for controllling nonpoint --national policy for controllling nonpoint sources of water pollutionsources of water pollution
• Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996--risk-based water quality standards, consumer --risk-based water quality standards, consumer awarenessawareness
3636
Love CanalLove Canal
• Landfill near Niagara Falls, NY• Hooker Chemicals and Plastics Corporation put
wastes in abandoned canal, covered it, deeded 16 acres to Niagara Falls Board of Education in 1953.
• Elementary school built on site; houses built around school
• 1976—chemicals leaking into basements• Env emergency declared in 1978• State and federal gov’ts bought >500 contaminated
houses in 1980; 1989 people began to return
3737
Types, Effects and Sources of Water PollutionTypes, Effects and Sources of Water Pollution
Point sourcesPoint sources
Nonpoint sourcesNonpoint sources
Water qualityWater qualityFig. 22-3 p. 494Fig. 22-3 p. 494
3838
Point and Nonpoint SourcesPoint 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
3939
Point source vs non-point source pollution; developed vs non-developed
Developing countries: half of world’s 500 major rivers are heavily polluted
4141
MississippiRiver Basin
MissouriRiver
OhioRiver
MississippiRiver
LOUISIANAMississippi
River
Depleted
Oxygen
Gulf of Mexico 4242
Solutions: Preventing and Reducing Surface Water PollutionSolutions: Preventing and Reducing Surface Water Pollution
Nonpoint SourcesNonpoint Sources Point SourcesPoint Sources
Reduce runoffReduce runoff
Buffer zone vegetation
Buffer zone vegetation
Reduce soil erosionReduce soil erosion
Clean Water ActClean Water Act
Water Quality ActWater Quality Act
4343
Pollution of LakesPollution of Lakes
Eutrophication Eutrophication
Fig. 22-7 p. 499
4444
Groundwater Pollution: ResultsGroundwater Pollution: Results
Low flow rates Low flow rates Few bacteria Few bacteria Cold temperatures Cold temperatures
Coal strip mine runoff
Pumping well
Waste lagoon
Accidental spills
Groundwater flow
Confined aquifer
Discharge
Leakage from faulty casing
Hazardous waste injection well
Pesticides
Gasoline station
Buried gasoline and solvent tank
Sewer
Cesspool septic tank
De-icing road salt
Unconfined freshwater aquifer
Confined freshwater aquifer
Water pumping well Landfill
Low oxygen Low oxygen
Fig. 22-9 p. 502
4545
Groundwater Pollution PreventionGroundwater Pollution Prevention
Monitor aquifers Monitor aquifers
Leak detection systems Leak detection systems
Strictly regulating hazardous waste disposal Strictly regulating hazardous waste disposal
Store hazardous materials above ground Store hazardous materials above ground
Find less hazardous substitutes Find less hazardous substitutes
4646
Ocean PollutionOcean Pollution
Fig. 22-11 p. 504
4949
Dumping wastes in the oceansDumping wastes in the oceans
• Dumping industrial wastes off US coasts has stopped, but dredge products are legally dumped at 110 sites in Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts
• US has banned dumping sewage sludge in ocean since 1992
• 50 countries rep ~80% of world’s shipping fleet have agreed not to dump sewage and garbage
• London Dumping Convention of 1972; 1994
5050
Oil SpillsOil Spills Sources: offshore wells, tankers, pipelines and
storage tanks
Sources: offshore wells, tankers, pipelines and storage tanks
Effects: death of organisms, loss of animal insulation and buoyancy, smothering
Effects: death of organisms, loss of animal insulation and buoyancy, smothering
Significant economic impacts Significant economic impacts
Mechanical cleanup methods: skimmers and blotters
Mechanical cleanup methods: skimmers and blotters
Chemical cleanup methods: coagulants and dispersing agents
Chemical cleanup methods: coagulants and dispersing agents
5151
Oil Pollution in the OceansOil Pollution in the Oceans
• Oil Pollution Act of 1990
• Only about 15% of an oil spill can now be recovered
• Crude oil—3 years to remove
• Refined oil– 10-20 years
5252
Exxon ValdezExxon Valdez
• 1989; contaminated about 1500 km of coastline; Prince William Sound
• $8 billion cost to Exxon
• 2006—17 years later, still toxic patches of oil along some parts of shoreline
• Still—largest source of oil pollution is runoff from land!
5353
Prevention Cleanup
Ban dumping of wastes and sewage by maritime and cruise ships in coastal waters
Reduce input of toxic pollutants
Separate sewage and storm lines
Regulate coastal development
Recycle used oil
Require double hulls for oil tankers
Require at least secondary treatment of coastal sewage
Use wetlands, solar-aquatic, orother methods to treat sewage
Sprinkle nanoparticles over an oil or sewage spill to dissolve the oil or sewage without creating harmful byproducts(still under development)
Protect sensitive areas from development, oil drilling, and oil shipping
Ban ocean dumping of sludge and hazardous dredged material
Improve oil-spill cleanup capabilities
SolutionsCoastal Water Pollution
5454
Technological Approach: Septic SystemsTechnological Approach: Septic Systems
Require suitable soils and maintenanceRequire suitable soils and maintenance
Fig. 22-15 p. 510
5757
Sewage TreatmentSewage Treatment
Physical and biological treatmentPhysical and biological treatmentFig. 22-16 p. 511
5858
Advanced (Tertiary) Sewage TreatmentAdvanced (Tertiary) Sewage Treatment
Uses physical and chemical processesUses physical and chemical processes
Removes nitrate and phosphateRemoves nitrate and phosphate
ExpensiveExpensive
Not widely usedNot widely used
5959
Technological Approach: Using Wetlands to Treat SewageTechnological Approach: Using Wetlands to Treat Sewage
Fig. 22-18 p. 513
6060
Ask me about my research projectAsk me about my research project
6161
Drinking Water QualityDrinking Water Quality
Safe Drinking Water Act Safe Drinking Water Act
Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs)
Purification of urban drinking water Purification of urban drinking water
Bottled water Bottled water
Protection from terrorism Protection from terrorism
Purification of rural drinking water Purification of rural drinking water
6262
Solutions
Water Pollution
•Prevent groundwater contamination
•Greatly reduce nonpoint runoff
•Reuse treated wastewater for irrigation
•Find substitutes for toxic pollutants
•Work with nature to treat sewage
•Practice four R's of resource use (refuse,
reduce, recycle, reuse)
•Reduce resource waste
•Reduce air pollution
•Reduce poverty
•Reduce birth rates
6363
WetlandsHome to ~33% of nation’s threatened and endangered species
Statistics— 50% loss since 1900 in US; cities on filled wetlands; rising sea level
Mitigation banking—Nat’l Academy: ~half of attempts to build a wetland fail.
More than 500 wetland restoration banks in US
6464
Virtues of WetlandsVirtues of Wetlands
• Home to wildlife and flora
• Flood protection
• Cycling and storage of chemical and biological substances
• Found at heads of rivers
• Remove toxins from sewage
6565
Protecting, Sustaining, and Restoring WetlandsProtecting, Sustaining, and Restoring Wetlands
Regulations Regulations
Mitigation bankingMitigation banking
Wetlands protectionWetlands protection
Wetlands restorationWetlands restoration
Control of invasive species
Control of invasive species
7070
• Thank you to www.geo.umass.edu/faculty/seaman/EnvGeol/nov8powerpoint.ppt for the power point
7373