Environmental Issues

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Environmental Issues
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WATER

• Is one of our most precious RESOURCES

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The water cycle

• the amount of water on and around this planet is
  fairly constant
• availability of water is not as constant

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Water

• 97 is in oceans
• 2 is freshwater
• 1 is frozen in glaciers and icecaps

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The water cycle

• water is continuously moving from place to place
• the water cycle is called the hydrologic cycle

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The water cycle

• powered by solar energy
• heats the water causing it to rise into the
  atmosphere
• called evaporation

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The water cycle

• if the oceans were not recharged, their water
  level would decrease over 40 inches per year

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The water cycle

• rainwater accounts for only 1 of the total water
  supply
• rain is vital in keeping the water balance on
  earth

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WATER CYCLE
WATER IN ATMOSPHERE
PRECIPITATION
EVAPORATION
WATER /ICE
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Three zones

1. Surface
2. dry soil accepts water until saturated
3. Zone of aeration
4. empty spaces filled with air, extends from the
   deepest roots to just above the water table

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Three zones

• Groundwater zone
• below zone of aeration
• water saturated rocks called aquifers
• can equal about 100 years of surface runoff volume

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Industry

• uses more water than any other raw material
• only a small part of the water is actually
  consumed
• used as a medium for other processes

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Industry

• Canning
• water is used to clean product and the containers
• Cool ovens
• Boil the product
• Wash away wastes

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Industry

• may become part of the product
• most water is recycled or returned to the natural
  water cycle in a drainage ditch or stream

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Industry

• paper is made in water
• industry draws about 40 billion gallons of water
  per day
• water supply - major factor in location of
  industry

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Industry

• strong pollution control methods to recycle water
  rather than draw from an outside source

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Hydroelectric plants

• major use of water
• US leads the world in hydroelectric power
• supplies only a small portion of our needs

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Hydroelectric Plants

• concern is with damming of rivers
• fish runs are interrupted
• habitat is changed
• puts wildlife in danger

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Fish and Wildlife

• the way water is handled affects the fish in the
  water and the wildlife around the water

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Fish and Wildlife

• land wildlife, inland birds, waterfowl
• different species require different types of
  water

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Fish and Wildlife

• some fish prosper in cold mountain streams
• some may prefer fast running rapids

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Recreation

• boating, water skiing, fishing, sailing and
  swimming
• Swimming pools
• require a lot of water to keep them in
  compliance with health regulations.

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Recreation

• Frozen water activities
• ice skating
• hockey
• snowboarding
• skiing

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Domestic Uses

• cooking
• baths or showers
• carry away wastes
• Each American uses more water than any other
  person in the world

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Domestic Uses

• In the US each person uses approximately 150
  gallons of water per day
• Bath
• 3-40 gallons
• Shower
• 5 gallons per minute

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Domestic Uses

• Wash clothes
• 30 gallons
• flush the toilet
• 3 gallons
• Water the lawn and garden, wash cars
• Fire protection

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Use

• How wasteful can we be and still have enough
  clean water to survive?

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Pollution

• The presence of a SUBSTANCE in water, air, or
  soil that makes them OFFENSIVE to humans.

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Water

• Water that is suitable for DRINKING is referred
  to as POTABLE water

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Sources of Pollution

• Oil Products
• Soil Erosion
• Animal and Human Waste
• Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides
• High temperature water discharge

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Eutrophication

• An increase in the amount of NUTRIENTS in an
  environment

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Nutrients

• Nutrients in water are expressed in terms of
  PARTS PER MILLIONS (PPM)

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Nitrates

• Nitrates are a common source of POLLUTION

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Sources of Nitrates

• Animal Waste
• Human Waste
• Chemical fertilizers
• Dead and decaying organisms

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Eutrophication

• One of the first INDICATIONS of eutrophication in
  water is the presence of ALGAE

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Eutrophication

• Also known as POND SCUM

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Waste Control

• Sewage Treatment Plants
• Septic Tanks
• Waste Lagoons

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Sewage Treatment Plants

• Larger towns and cities
• Treat waste water to remove B.O.D.
• Use Oxygenation, Chlorine, UV Light
• Tremonton, Brigham City

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Septic Tanks

• Used in rural areas
• Settling tank and Drain Field
• Will not work if area is densely populated

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Waste Lagoons

• Used in dairies, feed lots, and some towns and
  cities
• Logan and Perry
• Animal waste is stored in a settling pond where
  it is decomposed by anaerobic bacteria

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Water Pollution

• Occurs in both groundwater and in surface water

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Ground water

• Water stored in underground lakes called aquifers

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Surface Water

• Water is absorbed by the soil as it flows into
  the aquifers

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Non-Point Source Pollution

• Pollution that originates from many sources

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Point source pollution

• Pollution that results from a single source

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Erosion

• Our largest environmental problem
• Wasting away of soil by wind or water

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Two main problems of erosion

• The loss of Topsoil
• The pollution of water by the erosion of soil

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Soil Erosion Damage

• Loss of topsoil
• Pollution of rivers and streams
• Kills fish and plants

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Soil Conservation Service

• An agency organized to help prevent the loss of
  topsoil and to stop erosion caused by the washing
  away of soil.

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Examples of soil conservation practices

• Windbreaks
• Terracing
• Crop rotation (summer fallow)
• Contour plowing
• No-till and minimum till planting

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Wetlands

• A piece of land that stays underwater for most of
  the year

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Wetlands provide several roles

• Habitat
• Filtering of water
• Water storage
• Flood prevention

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EPA Regulations

• Restrict use
• Incentives to preserve wetlands
• Permit must be obtained before land can be
  disturbed

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