Water Resources

Types of Water
* 7 O oof Earth is covered in water
• Salt Water 97 oof the Earth's water
O

• Fresh Water 3 O oof the Earth's Water

—77% is frozen
— Surface water — lakes, rivers, streams,
wetlands
 Water Alternatives
• Fresh water is being used faster in some
metropolitan areas than it can be
treated
• Desalinization
— Salt water abundant
Expensive
• Transport in from other areas
 Water Conservation
• Agriculture
Drip irrigation
—Time of irrigation
• Home
— Low flow toilets and shower heads,
teeth brushing, showers, rainwater
collection Yard irrigatioon
• Industry
— Cooling towers rather than reservoirs;
low flow
• Point Source
Water Pollution
— Single location
— Impact often great in one area
— Can be regulated
• Non-point Sources
— Many different sources
— Hard to control or regulate
• Types of Pollution
— Pathogens
— Organic matter
— Organic Chemicals — pesticides, fertilizers,
plastics, detergents, petroleum
— Inorganic Chemicals —acids, bases, salts
Heavy metals
— Physical agents — heat and suspended
particles
 River Systems

• Tributary — start of system; usually in

mountains
• Streams and creeks flow into rivers which flow
into seas and oceans
• Watershed — the area of land drained by a
specific river
• Watersheds are defined by land topography
 Use of Water
• Residential
—Treated to be potable
—Sewage, well, and wastewater is treated
• Industrial
Manufactoring
—Power generation — cooling reservoirs
• Agriculture
—Largest use of freshwater worldwide
—Irrigations
— Natural waterways are often altered to
meet agricultural need
 Groundwater
• Water stored underground in sediment and
rock formation
° Water is filtered as it percolates through the
ground
• Watertable — point at which water saturates
the soil and rock
• Aquifer — underground formation of
permeable rocks that allow the flow of water;
usually made of gravel and/or limestone instead
of clay or granite
— Recharge zone - environment sensitive area
where water percolates into the aquifer
 Water Management Projects
• Diversion
• Dams
• Reseviors
• Pros
—Drinking water, recreation, hydroelectric power
• Cons
— Ecosystem disruption, displacing people,
risk of dam failure