Water as a Resource Quiz 2

What are some positives for dam removal?

Aquatic resource renewal, sediment supply downstream, restoration of natural hydrological regime, cheaper to remove than update.

What are some negatives of dam removal?

Water and power supply resource losses.

What drives the preservation of some dams and the removal of others?

Power. Whoever holds the power to make decisions has a distinct influence on what is going to happen.

What were the environmental politics surrounding dam removal in New England versus Oregon?

While both dams were economic liabilities and no longer served their original purpose, there were differing opinions about removing them. In Oregon, there was support for having the dam removed by river runners and the native tribes who wanted to see the natural river restored. In New England, they were opposed to the removal of the dam due to the significance of the dam in the identity of the town and the tourism it brings in.

What are the 6 myths about water insecurity?

Water access is universal, water is clean, water is affordable, delivery is trustworthy, water is uniformly governed, and modern water is the best water.

Household water insecurity:

Lack of safe, reliable, sufficient, and affordable water for a thriving life

Modern Water

a set of ideas, discourses, and practices associated with scientific and Western models of water management.

What are the 4 sectors of water use?

Domestic, agricultural, industry, thermoelectric use

Why do western states have a higher per capita use?

It’s a water-scarce region with landscape irrigation needs.

What are the three forms of water scarcity?

Hydrological (or physical) scarcity (Southern California), Techno-economic scarcity (infrastructure failure), perceptual scarcity (bottled water use).

Which household item consumes more water, per use, than any other in the typical household?

a) Bathtub

b) Washing Machine

c) Toilet

d) Dishwasher

Washing machine

Which sector of water use is the largest in the world?

Agricultural

Which is the largest water use sector in the U.S.?

Thermoelectric

What water use sector is the fastest growing sector of water withdrawals?

Domestic

What are the 5 resources of domestic water use?

Adequate supply, water treatment, distribution system, sewer collection system, wastewater treatment.

What is considered water stressed for surface water?

When you are using greater than 40%

What is considered water stressed for groundwater?

When using a greater amount than the safe yield

Being in a water stressed region does not mean you are…

water insecure

What are the three categories of water pollution?

Organic waste (sewer and animal feedlots), nutrients (ag. and lawn fertilizer runoff), thermal (once-through cooling systems)

Release of organic material into waterways leading to increased…

Biochemical Oxygen Demand

What happens when BOD is too high?

Lower the oxygen and leads to eutrophication

What are the two types of sewer systems?

Separated sanitary and stormwater systems and combined systems.

What is CSO and what causes it?

Combined sewer overflow, caused by large amounts of precipitation

What is SSO, and what causes it?

Sanitary sewer overflow, caused by a failure in the system.

Eutrophicaiton

The over-enrichment of natural waters with nutrients

High nitrate levels in water cause…

“blue baby” syndrome and are carcinogenic

What is considered thermal pollution?

When water is warmer than the intake temperature, typically by 10°C

Water security

Sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustainable livelihoods

Water scarcity

The demand exceeds the available supply