2. Managing Water Sources

3. Aquifers  “An aquifer is an underground layer of water- bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology… Aquifers can occur at various depths. Those closer to the surface are not only more likely to be used for water supply and irrigation, but are also more likely to be topped up by the local rainfall…” Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquifer waterpermeable rockgravelsandsiltclay groundwater water well hydrogeology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquiferwaterpermeable rockgravelsandsiltclay groundwater water well hydrogeology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquifer

4. “The surface of saturated material in an aquifer is known as the water table.” Wikipedia water tablewater table

5. Diminishing Aquifers  “Since the over-pumping of aquifers is occurring in many countries more or less simultaneously, the depletion of aquifers and the resulting harvest cutbacks could come at roughly the same time. And the accelerating depletion of aquifers means this day may come soon, creating potentially unmanageable food scarcity.” China, India, and the U.S. are the worst offenders. Many wells in the Plains States are going dry. aquifers  Lester Brown (Lead Author); Brian Black and Galal Hassan Galal Hussein (Topic Editor);. 2006. "Aquifer depletion." In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth September 14, 2006; Last revised September 14, 2006; Retrieved May 17, 2010]  Lester Brown (Lead Author); Brian Black and Galal Hassan Galal Hussein (Topic Editor);. 2006. "Aquifer depletion." In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth September 14, 2006; Last revised September 14, 2006; Retrieved May 17, 2010] http://www.eoearth.org/article/Aquifer_depletion  Building over recharge zones diminishes the possibility of replenishing the aquifers.  Polluting aquifers is also a problem.

6. Managing Water Infrastructure  Water Infrastructure Sustainable Water Infrastructure Watch Demo & Video Case Study Water Infrastructure Water Infrastructure  www.3MWaterInfrastructure.com www.3MWaterInfrastructure.com

7. Management of Water Supplies  Often access to water can cause conflict between rural and suburban areas because the nature and volume of use offends the opposing interest.  Various economic interest may have conflicting motives to residential usage. Sometimes genders and ethnic groups may collide.  Who has the right to manage water sources? As Dr. Srinivas has indicated, local management is the most effective approach, but what if there are conflicting interests locally? What if economic gain dwarfs residential concerns?

8. Conservation  The most productive and quickest result for the crisis is conservation. BUT, who will require one country to conserve while another squanders its resources? Who will set policy for water usage – local authorities, the counties, states, the national government? Who will influence policy – special interest groups? Who will insure equality?

9. Another challenge in Conserving Water is the aging Water Infrastructure  Popular Science (February 2010) reports that “Across the country, we lose an average of seven billion gallons of drinking water a day to leaks – and we have an 800,000-mile network of pipes that needs constant monitoring and repair.” “In the Northeast, up to 50 percent of our clean water leaks into the ground between the treatment center and the tap.”

10. Americans Waste a lot of Water  It has been calculated that about 95% of the water coming into households is lost down the drain (not used at all) - For instance, when we leave the water on while we brush our teeth. (It has been estimated that turning the water off while we brush could save us about 3-4 gallons daily per person). The Huffington Post, May 2010. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/30/10- facts-about-wasted-wat_n_115642.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/30/10- facts-about-wasted-wat_n_115642.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/30/10- facts-about-wasted-wat_n_115642.html

11. Drippy faucets  http://www.awwa.org/AWWA/waterwiser/drip calc.cfm?showLogin=N http://www.awwa.org/AWWA/waterwiser/drip calc.cfm?showLogin=N http://www.awwa.org/AWWA/waterwiser/drip calc.cfm?showLogin=N  Explore this drip calculator to see how much water we lose by not repairing a drippy faucet.

12. Americans use a lot of Water  “Americans now use 127 percent more water than we did in 1950.” (The Huffington Post, May 19, 2010)  The average American uses about 150 gallons of water per day compared to the average Briton at 30 gallons per day and the average Ethopian at 3 gallons per day. (Andrea Thompson, Live Science Staff Editor, “Water: A Precious, and Wasted,Resource”)http://www.livescience.com/en vironment/071102-amnh-water.html

13. Additional Polluted Water Information Sites  Poisoned Waters – includes video http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/p oisonedwaters/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/p oisonedwaters/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/p oisonedwaters/  Toxic Waters – with video & slide shows http://projects.nytimes.com/toxic-waters http://projects.nytimes.com/toxic-waters