Transcript Water Resources - Ocean County Vocational Technical School

Water Resources
An Environmental Science Series
The Water Molecule
Hydrogen Bonds
Energy Involved in the Phase Changes of Water
www.hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu
Water: a staple for life
www.auf.asn.au/meteorology
Where do we get water?
Water Balance
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Lenthic – standing water (lakes)
Lotic – running water (streams)
Incoming sources:
1)
Precipitation
2)
Surface influents
3)
Groundwater seepage
4)
Groundwater springs
Losses:
1)
Outlets (drainage)
2)
Seepage into groundwater (infiltration)
3)
Evaporation
4)
Evapotranspiration (macrophytes)
Water in the atmosphere
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Water vapor can be between 0 and 4 %
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It is considered a Greenhouse Gas
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It is responsible for condensation to
form clouds and precipitation
Sources of Water
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Aquifers both confined and
unconfined are important
underground reservoirs
Surface water sources including
rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs
Desalination is also another way to
get drinking water
University of Michigan
U.S. water consumption as per 1995 statistics
Water, Water Everywhere
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The oceans constitute over 71% of
the surface of the earth.
Only 3% of the world’s water supply
is freshwater (text says 2.6%).
Two-thirds of this freshwater supply
is tied up in glacial ice.
Most of the water is too polluted to
drink and must undergo a form of
filtration.
Water usage!
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The average toilet uses 5 to 7 gallons of
water per flush.
A shower can use 25 to 50 gallons of
water (5 gallons per minute).
The average bath takes about 36 gallons
of water.
It takes about 1 gallon of water to process
a quarter pound of hamburger.
Ten gallons of water are needed to refine
one gallon of gasoline.
Humans require about 2 1/2 quarts of
water a day.
Groundwater Concept Map
by Purdue University, IN
Methods of Desalination
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Reverse Osmosis
Distillation
Evaporation
There are some major desalination
processing plants. In fact, the
Outerbanks, NC and Cape May use
this technology.
Water without the salt
Desalination
Reverse Osmosis Desalination
courtesy of USAID (Kahn, 1986.)
Hoover Dam Information
Location
The Hoover Dam is located in the South Western United
States on the border of Nevada and Arizona. The dam is
30 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
Interesting
Facts
•Two lane road allows traffic to travel from Nevada to
Arizona. For security reasons, certain types of vehicles
(like heavy trucks) are not allowed to cross the dam . The
Hoover Dam Bypass bridge is currently being built.
Irrigation
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Agriculture accounts for 80 percent
of the Nation's water use (USDA)
Irrigation is critical to agriculture in
the United States: nearly half of the
value of all crops sold comes from
the 16 percent of harvested cropland
that is irrigated.
Cranberry Bog’s take much
water for flooding and
diversion of stream flows
Massachusetts Bogs use 41 –
44 billion of gallons of water
per year!
Water Pollution
Types and Treatment
We can classify major sources that
lead to water pollution:
•synthetic agricultural chemicals
•heavy metals
•hazardous wastes
•excess organic matter
•sediment
•infectious organisms
•air pollution
•thermal pollution
•soil pollution
Bioavailability of Metals
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
metals of major interest that have greatest potential
for human exposure and health risk include:
Al, As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, and Sb
Other metals that may cause less of a health threat
are:
Ag, Ba, Co, Mn, Mo, Na, Tl, V, and Zn
These metals can be dispersed in soil, water and air.
Metals in soil and sediment, those suspended in the
water column, and those found in groundwater are
of greatest concern according to USGS Publication
2191.
Biological Factors – Nutrient Cycling
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There are biotic processes including
nutrient cycling with phosphorus and
nitrogen…
Nitrates come from cycling, runoff,
and the atmosphere
Phosphates are put into a system
through runoff, cycling or
translocation from another source
(bird excretion), but not from the
atmosphere
Florida Everglades: A highly altered ecosystem
Florida Bay is 2072 Km2
Water Filtration
Water Purification Technologies
 Distillation
 Ion Exchange
 Carbon Adsorption
 Filtration
 Ultrafiltration
 Reverse Osmosis
 Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation
Confined & Unconfined Aquifers
Bynum Reservoir with the Rocky Mountain Front in the distance