LESSON 2:

FUNDAMENTALS OF WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM

> Water is constantly in motion by way of the hydrologic cycle.
> Water evaporates as vapor from oceans, lakes, and rivers; is transpired from plants; condenses
in the air and falls as precipitation; and then moves over and through the ground into water bodies,
where the cycle begins again.

The water-use cycle

> composed of the water cycle with the added influence of human activity.
> Dams, reservoirs, canals, aqueducts , withdrawal pipes in rivers, and groundwater wells all
reveal that humans have a major impact on the water cycle.
> In the water-use cycle, water moves from a source to a point of use, and then to a point of
disposition.
>The sources of water are either surface water or groundwater.
> Water is withdrawn and moved from a source to a point of use, such as an industry,
restaurant, home, or farm.
> After water is used, it must be disposed of (or reused).
> Used water is either directly returned to the environment or passes through a
treatment processing plant before being returned

3 main sources of water

1. Rainwater
 Water source that comes from water runoff from roofs is collected in cisterns and used for
irrigation purposes.
 A cistern is a holding tank for rainwater.
 May be contaminated by the atmosphere or the roof.

2. Surface water
 Water source that is found in lakes, reservoirs, ponds, or oceans.
 Most plentiful source but easily contaminated.

3. Underground water
 Water table is a saturated water source from the underground surface beneath which earth
materials such as soil or rock.
 Deep well
> most common source of water.
> The object of a well is to make the water lying beneath the water table available for
use.
> If the water table is close to the surface, wells are sometimes dug by hand.
> Dug wells are rarely deeper than 30 feet

Categories of Water use

1. Commercial
 includes fresh water for motels, hotels, restaurants, office buildings, other commercial
facilities, and civilian and military institutions

2. Domestic
 includes water that used in the home every day

3. Industrial
 valuable resource to the nation's industries such purposes as processing, cleaning,
transportation, dilution, and cooling in manufacturing facilities.
 Major water-using industries include steel, chemical, paper, and petroleum refining.
 Industries often reuse the same water over and over for more than one purpose.

4. Irrigation
 water artificially applied to farm and crops
 water used to irrigate pastures, for frost and freeze protection, chemical application, crop
cooling, harvesting, and for the leaching of salts from the crop root zone.
 Non-agricultural activities include self-supplied water to irrigate public and private golf
courses, parks