exam 2 - agsm 105

Low flow toilet

use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush

High efficiency toilets

use 1.28 gallons per flush or less

Regular toilets

7 gallons per flush

Industrial flow level

7 gallons per flush

Toilets made early 1980s to 1992

3.5+ gallons per flush

Toilets made prior to 1980

5 to 7 gallons per flush

Oldest toilets

more than 8 gallons per flush

Low flow

low desirability

Modern dishwashers

3.22 gallons per cycle

Old model dishwashers

over 16 gallons per cycle

Most common dishwasher water usage

3.5 gallons per cycle

Dishwasher rinse cycle

1.1 gallons

Dishwasher heavy cycle

7.37 gallons

Hand washing uses more water than modern dishwashers on average

true

How much of your daily water usage do dishwashers account for

4-20%

New dishwashers run longer than older machines claiming to use less water and electricity

true

Why did President Biden’s Department of Energy propose new efficiency standards for washing machines

to confront the global climate crisis

Rule issued in 2007

banned sale of incandescent light bulbs

Rule passed in April 2022

light bulbs must emit a minimum of 45 lumens per watt

Lumen

measure of brightness

LED cost more than incandescent bulbs

true

Irrigation

controlled application of water for agricultural purposes through manmade systems to supply water requirements not satisfied by rainwater

What do we irrigate

sports fields, agriculture crops, lawns, gardens

Why do we irrigate crops

like to eat, increase production, speed up production, grow food in dry areas, mitigate drought

How do we measure irrigation

depth, inches or mm

Each plant has a water requirement

true

How much water does corn need

26 inches

How much water does cotton need

27 inches

How much water does sorghum need

22 inches

How much water do small grains need

30 inches

How much water do vegetables need

22 inches

How much water do fruit trees need

36 inches

1 acre-inch

27541 gallons of water

How much water does sports turf grass need

34 inches

How much water do residential home lawns need

25 inches

How much water do flower/bedding areas need

21 inches

How much water does Kyle Field need

936,394 gallons

How much water does a ¼ acre residential home use for landscape irrigation

67,000 gallons

Resources required to irrigate

water, pump (pressure and flow), piping, emitter(s)

Agricultural irrigation methods

flood irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation

Flood irrigation

furrow, whole field

Sprinkler irrigation

center pivot (traditional), large ag sprinklers

Drip irrigation

surface, subsurface

Flood irrigation

most common, least efficient, flowrate - acre feet

Sprinkler irrigation

single large nozzle and multiple small nozzles, moderate water loss, flowrate - gallons per minute (GPM)

Center pivot irrigation

highly efficient, automated method where wheeled towers support a long, rotating pipe to water circular fields

Drip irrigation

highest efficiency , flowrate - gallons per hour (GPH)

*Where can rainwater harvesting be used

home use (toilets, water plants, drinking water), large/small landscapes, livestock/pets watering, buildings, groundwater recharge, commercial and industrial, firefighting

Passive collection

spreader dams, stock tanks, rippings berms/basins

Is every raindrop important

yes

*Per 1 inch of rainfall

we can collect .6 gallons of water

*Harvested water collection formula

harvested water (gal) = catchment area (ft^2) * rainfall depth (in) * 0.623 conversion factor

DIverters

avoid large debris

San Antonio potential runoff

5,985,791 gallons or 19.25 acre-ft per year

Filtration

can remove some germs and chemicals

Chemical disinfection or boiling

kill germs but does not remove chemicals

*Is chlorine a way of sanitation

yes

*Irradiation with UV light

produces minimal byproducts and provides disinfection of bacteria and most viruses

*Ozone

colorless gas that has an odor similar to shard electric smell

*Advantages of ozone

effective over wide pH range, short reaction time, does not add chemicals to water

*Disadvantages to ozone

higher equipment and operational costs, some by-products can be carcinogenic, less soluble in water, fire hazard

*RWH equipment

filters, storage tanks, first flush divertors, piping/valves

*Bird’s eye view

see how water flows across the landscape

Riparian Water Rights

landowners adjacent to a flowing stream or river can use the water

Urbanization

rural farmland converted to impervious surface

Inter-basin Transfer

movement of water from one significant basin to another

Subsidence

sinking of the ground because of underground material movement, most often caused by the removal of water, oil, natural gas, or mineral resources out of the ground by pumping, fracking, or mining activities

SAWS

San Antonio Water System

In 1995 how much of San Antonio’s water came from Edward’s Aquifer

100%

What does SAWS manage today

15 projects origination from 9 different sources

Edward’s Aquifer is San Antonio's first water supply

true

Benefits of Water Supply DIversification

reduced adverse effects on San Antonio, decreases reliance on Edward’s Aquifer to 60% of total supply, improves spring flows and habitat for threatened and endangered species, increases resilience in managing any climate related impacts to one or more water sources, provides SAWS customers water security today and for generations to come

Wilcox Aquifer

Brackish Groundwater Desalination

Do EPA regulations that protect public drinking water apply to private wells

no

*Components of a well

pressure tank, pressure switch, submersible pump, casing, electrical wiring

*Casing

tubular structure placed in the drilled well to maintain the well opening, prevents contaminants from mixing with the water

*What is casing made out of

carbon steel, plastic, stainless steel

Benefits of PVC casing

lightweight, resistant to corrosion, relatively easy to install

Negatives of PVC casing

not as strong as steel, not as heat resistant

Benefits of Steel casing

stronger, more heat resistant

Negatives of Steel casing

susceptible to corrosion, scale build up, costs more

*Turbine pump

provides water flow, provides water pressure, electrically driven by a motor, sit at bottom of well, screen gets clogged eventually

*pressure tank

maintains pressure when pump is not on, stores water for use

Submersible Turbine Pump

push water up through a pipe installed in the well instead of pulling it with suction

Submersible Turbine Pump

provides pressure (psi) and provides flow (gpm)

*Potential well contaminants

arsenic, septic, fertilizers, pesticides, flood waters over well, industrial pollution

*Artesian well

groundwater that is under pressure when tapped by a well and is able to rise above the level at which it is first encountered, may or may or not flow out at ground level, pressure from confined water, NOT temporary like in John Wayne movies

Water tower

large, elevated tank of water

When was the original Aggie water tower build

1930s, replaced in 1975ish

Water towers

provides pressure, provides water volume

Flow meter

used to measure amount of water used

*Drawdown short term effects

decreased well yield, saltwater intrusion

*Drawdown long term effects

permanent groundwater depletion, lowering water table, shrinking aquifer storage

Cause of Flint Michigan

good intentions

Effect of Flint Michigan

bad results

*James C Collins quote

Bad decisions made with good intentions, are still bad decisions

*EPA sources of lead in drinking water

lead service line, copper pipe with lead solder, faucets/fixtures, surface of galvanized pipe, lead goose necks

Lead pipe

dull, silver-gray color that is easily scratched, not magnetic

Galvanized pipe

dull silver-gray color, magnetic

Copper pipe

color of a copper penny