Water Resources

1. Water Resources An Environmental Science Series

2. The Water Molecule Hydrogen Bonds

3. Energy Involved in the Phase Changes of Water www.hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu

4. Water: a staple for life www.auf.asn.au/meteorology

5. Where do we get water?

6. Water Balance • Lenthic– standing water (lakes) • Lotic– running water (streams) Incoming sources: • Precipitation • Surfaceinfluents • Groundwaterseepage • Groundwatersprings Losses: • Outlets (drainage) • Seepage into groundwater (infiltration) • Evaporation • Evapotranspiration(macrophytes)

7. Water in the atmosphere • Water vapor can be between 0 and 4 % • It is considered a Greenhouse Gas • It is responsible for condensation to form clouds and precipitation

8. Sources of Water • 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

9. University of Michigan

10. U.S. water consumption as per 1995 statistics

11. Water, Water Everywhere • 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.

12. Water usage! • 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.

13. Groundwater Concept Map by Purdue University, IN

14. Methods of Desalination • Reverse Osmosis • Distillation • Evaporation There are some major desalination processing plants. In fact, the Outerbanks, NC and Cape May use this technology.

15. Water without the saltDesalination Reverse Osmosis Desalination courtesy of USAID (Kahn, 1986.)

18. Irrigation • 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.

20. 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!

21. Water Pollution Types and Treatment

23. 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 

24. 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.

27. Biological Factors – Nutrient Cycling • 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

29. Florida Everglades: A highly altered ecosystem Florida Bay is 2072 Km2

30. Water Filtration Water Purification Technologies • Distillation • Ion Exchange • Carbon Adsorption • Filtration • Ultrafiltration • Reverse Osmosis • Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation

34. Confined & Unconfined Aquifers

35. Bynum Reservoir with the Rocky Mountain Front in the distance