Ch 6 - Water Quality and Quantity

Surface Water

Fresh water on Earth's land surface. Surface water is found in lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands.

River System

A flowing network of rivers and streams draining a river basin

Watershed

The area of land that is drained by a water system

Ground Water

The water that is beneath the Earth's surface

Aquifer

Porous rock that stores groundwater and allows the flow of groundwater

Potable

Suitable for drinking

Pathogen

A microorganism, another organism, a virus, or a protein that causes disease; an infectious agent

Water Pollution

Contamination of water by waste matter or other material that is harmful to organisms that are exposed to the water

Point- Source Pollution

Pollution that comes from a specific site; an example is pollution from factory water pipe into a stream.

Waste Water

Water that contains wastes from homes or industry

Artificial Eutrophication

A process that increases the amount of nutrients in a body of water through human activities, such as waste disposal and land drainage

non-point source pollution

undefined source of water contamination such as golf course, farm field, residential neighborhoods

evaporation

changing from liquid to gaseous state

condensation

changing from gaseous to liquid state

precipitation

any form of water (snow, sleet, hail) falling to earth

infiltration

water soaking into the ground

75%

% of water covering the planet

97%

% of water that is salt water

Primary Filtration

the first step in water treatment where large items are filtered out

Preliminary Treatment

the first step in sewage treatment where large sewage items are filtered out

Coagulation

alum takes toxins out of the water and creates flocs that sink

alum

white chalk material added to water for cleaning

floc

alum combined with water contaminants

Second Filtration

layers of rock and gravel filter any remaining impurities from drinking water

chlorination

chlorine is added to water to kill pathogens in water

aeration

water and air in close contact in order to remove dissolved gases (such as carbon dioxide) and oxidizes dissolved metals such as iron, hydrogen sulfide, and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)

fluoridation

fluoride is added to prevent tooth decay

sludge

the solid portion of wastewater treatment

groundwater contamination

pollutants entering ground water by percolating down from the surface

1969

Year the Cuyahoga River caught on fire

Clean Water Act

1972, goal to make water clean for swimming and fishing by 1983, not achieved

Primary treatment

2nd stage of wastewater treatment where fine particles settle out to create sludge

secondary treatment

oxygen, chlorine, and maybe UV light is used to further treat waste water

tertiary treatment

wastewater is funneled through a gravel bed for final cleaning before it is released into a waterway

well

hold that is dug to obtain fresh ground water

hexavalent chromium

main contaminant in the class action lawsuit in Hinkley, CA (Erin Brockovich)

speed up

what will happen to the water cycle with global warming

Cake

the finished product of sludge that is used as a soil conditioner

charcoal

charred wood used for cleaning water (Brita water filter)

LifeStraw

created for developing countries to remove bacteria, viruses, and parasites from water to use for drinking

Organic Pollution

pollution that occurs when living things decompose

Biological Oxygen Demand

The amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose biological wastes into carbon dioxide, water, and minerals.

Cuyahoga River

River that in the 1960s carried so much flammable waste that it caught fire.

Huang Pu River

River that ended in Shanghai that had dead pigs in it. It significantly decreased BOD.

Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

Area in the Gulf of Mexico that has low amounts of oxygen due to large amounts of nutrients. Contains large amounts of Phosphorus and Nitrogen in the water.

Organic Pollutants

pesticides, fertilizers, plastics, detergents, gasoline and oil, other petroleum based materials.

Inorganic Pollutants

acids, bases, salts, and industrial chemicals

sediment pollution

Excessive amounts of soil particles that enter the water as a result of erosion

alkalinity

measured to determine the buffering capacity of water

pH

goal of water is 7.0

dissolved oxygen

if this variable is high, the environment is healthy

ammonia

A small, very toxic molecule (NH3) produced by nitrogen fixation or as a metabolic waste product

chromium

Cr