1. Water
A limited resource

2. Remember the Hydrologic Cycle?
From greatswamp.org

3. How much water is there?
Graph courtesy of apesnature.homestead.com

4. What can we use? Surface water – fresh water on the Earth’s surface
River systems - a network of connected streams and rivers. Some of the largest and best know systems are the Amazon, Mississippi, and Nile systems.
Watershed – the area of land that is drained by a river. Any pollution source in the watershed area can create water pollution in the river and other bodies of water it feeds.

5. Groundwater – fresh water stored beneath the Earth’s surface in sediment and rock formations.
Water table
Aquifer
Recharge Zone

6. Coming Up The global water crisis and the poverty connection.
How do we conserve?

7. Water Use
Residential – amount of water used varies greatly between countries
Water treatment – remove contaminants
Potable – safe to drink
Remove pathogens as well

8. Water Use Industrial Agricultural Production of electricity
Production of semi-conductors and technology
Waste disposal
Agricultural
Irrigation

9. Water Use Per Capita
From treehugger.com

10. Water Management
The altering of streams and rivers to make them more useful for humans
Diversion – for use in residential and agricultural needs
Dams and Reservoirs – for above uses plus storage, electricity generation, and flood control

11. Water Conservation
Agriculture – losses from evaporation, runoff, and seepage.
Drip irrigation
Photo from Michigan State Extension Service

12. Water Conservation Industry Residential
Recycling waste and cooling water
Tax incentives
Residential
Technology – low-flow
Water your landscaping in the evening or try xeriscaping
Run only full loads of laundry and dishes
Check out

13. Solutions to Consider
Desalination
Transport
Water Credits

14. Pollution
The introduction of chemical, physical, or biological agents into the water that degrade water quality and adversely affect the organisms that depend on the water.
Remember unwanted and harmful?
Two primary causes are industrialization and human population growth.

15. Sources
Point-Source Pollution – pollution from a single source such as a factory, power plant, or leaky oil tanker.
Nonpoint-Source Pollution – From many different sources and can be hard to identify. This is what we generally refer to as watershed pollution.
Very difficult to monitor and regulate
Relies on public awareness / education

16. Principal Water Pollutants
Wastewater – water that contains waste from homes or industry.
Treatment – filtration and treatment processes make the water safe enough to return to the environment.
Sludge – must be treated as hazardous waste. It is generally incinerated and then the ash is buried in a secure landfill. Communities are always looking for ways to detoxify sludge so it can be used for fertilizer or building materials.

17. SA Water Treatment

18. More Pollutants Artificial Eutrophication –
Normal nutrient cycle – dead plants and animals are decomposed by bacteria and fungi and provide nutrition to plant and animals.
Eutrophication – decomposition uses oxygen. As O2 levels decrease, plants fill in and the water areas become marshes.
Artificial Eutrophication – Detergents and fertilizers add nitrogen and phosphorous to the water which increases algal growth blocks sunlight plants and animals die increased rate of eutrophication changes

19. Algal Blooms / Red Tides
From sciencedaily.com
From wordpress.com

20. Still more pollutants
Thermal – change in the temperature of a body of water that harms the organisms living there. .
Groundwater – water from the surface bring pollutants through the soil as it infiltrates down to the ground water aquifers. Also from seepage of underground storage tanks –petroleum products and sewage.

21. Groundwater Danger

22. Monsters Inside of Me
Animal Planet Video

23. Ocean Pollution 85% of ocean pollution comes from activites on land
Oil, chemical waste, medical waste
Sensitive coastal estuaries and reefs are the most sensitive to runoff pollutants
Oil spills – each year, approximately 37 million gallons of oil are spilled into oceans from tanker accidents like the Exxon Valdez in 1989
million gallons runoff from roadways and other nonpoint-sources on land.

24. Impacts on Ecosystems Water is foundational to life.
Pollution has an immediate effect if high levels of the contaminant are introduced at once.
Pollution has a delayed effect if smaller amounts accumulate over time (not _____________________).

25. Biomagnification – accumulation of toxins at each level of the food chain.

26. Clean Up
Clean Water Act of 1972 – goal was to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.” While the 1983 deadline was not met, major improvements have been made.
The Potomac is a wonderful example
Oil Pollution Act of 1990 – All oil tankers in US waters must be double-hulled by 2015.