Water Cycle ReviewWater Cycle Review

Global Distribution of Global Distribution of WaterWater

• Quantity and QualityQuantity and Quality

• Demonstration activityDemonstration activity

Water UsesWater Uses

• DomesticDomestic

• AgriculturalAgricultural

• IndustrialIndustrial• Power generation (dams are not Power generation (dams are not

counted as withdrawal)counted as withdrawal)

No stress

Low stress

Mid stress

High stress

Very high stress

Water stress indicator: Withdrawal to Availability ratio (2003)*

Water withdrawal = water used for irrigation, livestock, domestic and industrial purposes (2000)

Water availability = average annual water availability based on 1961-1990

* From IPCC 2007 Freshwater Resources

No data available

USGS Trends in Water Use 1950-USGS Trends in Water Use 1950-20002000

WithdrawalsWithdrawals

Total withdrawals increased steadily from 1950 to 1980, declined more than 9 percent from 1980 to 1985, and have varied less than 3 percent between the 5-year intervals since 1985. Total withdrawals peaked during 1980, although total U.S. population has increased steadily since 1950. Total withdrawals for 2000 were similar to the 1990 total withdrawals, although population had increased 13 percent since 1990.

USGS Trends in Water Use 1950-USGS Trends in Water Use 1950-20002000UsesUses

(U.S. Geological Survey, 1984; updated using 1995 estimates of water use) http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/misc/consuse-renewable.html

Potential Effects of Global Potential Effects of Global Warming*Warming*

• Results of increases in temperatureResults of increases in temperature (More than one-sixth of the world’s population (More than one-sixth of the world’s population live in glacier- or snowmelt-fed river basins)live in glacier- or snowmelt-fed river basins)

• Sea level rise (Sea level rise (saltwater intrusionsaltwater intrusion?)?)• Changes in precipitationChanges in precipitation• Semi-arid and arid areas are particularly exposed Semi-arid and arid areas are particularly exposed

to the impacts of climate change on freshwaterto the impacts of climate change on freshwater• Higher water temperatures, increased Higher water temperatures, increased

precipitationprecipitation intensity, and longer periods of low flows intensity, and longer periods of low flows

exacerbate many forms of water pollution, with exacerbate many forms of water pollution, with impacts on ecosystems, human health, water impacts on ecosystems, human health, water system reliability and operating costssystem reliability and operating costs

* Freshwater resources and their management; Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007 )IPCC 2007 )

Figure TS.5. Illustrative map of future climate change impacts on freshwater which are a threat to the sustainable development of the affected regions. Background shows ensemble mean change of annual runoff, in percent, between the present (1981-2000) and 2081-2100 for the SRES A1B emissions scenario; blue denotes increased runoff, red denotes decreased runoff. Underlying map from Nohara et al. (2006) [F3.8].

Waterborne IllnessesWaterborne Illnesses

• What are some common What are some common waterborne illnesses?waterborne illnesses?

• How do we detect their likelihood?How do we detect their likelihood?

• How can we prevent them?How can we prevent them?

Water PollutionWater Pollution

• Types of PollutantsTypes of Pollutants• Organic (living and nonliving)Organic (living and nonliving)• InorganicInorganic• Thermal Thermal

• Sources of PollutantsSources of Pollutants• PointPoint• Nonpoint Nonpoint

• USEPA Water Pollution Control USEPA Water Pollution Control RegulationsRegulations

Drinking Water Quality Drinking Water Quality

• USEPA Drinking Water Regulations USEPA Drinking Water Regulations • Coliform bacteriaColiform bacteria• Turbidity Turbidity • Organic and inorganic chemicalsOrganic and inorganic chemicals• RadionuclidesRadionuclides

Pesticides in Drinking Pesticides in Drinking WaterWater

• How do they get there?How do they get there?

• What happens when we drink What happens when we drink them?them?

• What happens if they react with What happens if they react with the most common disinfectant the most common disinfectant used for drinking water in the US?used for drinking water in the US?

Sourcewater ProtectionSourcewater Protection

• Groundwater (Aquifer) recharge Groundwater (Aquifer) recharge zoneszones

• Surface water pollutionSurface water pollution

Cincinnati Drinking Water Cincinnati Drinking Water SourcesSources

• Two supplies:• surface water from the Ohio River

(88%)• groundwater from ten wells in the

Great Miami Aquifer (12%)

• Slightly different treatment at each Slightly different treatment at each plantplant• Why?Why?

Great Miami Buried Valley Great Miami Buried Valley AquiferAquifer

Magnified View of Sand and Gravel Aquifer

Groundwater fills the open pockets lying between individual sand and gravel particles. The larger the interconnected air spaces (i.e., the greater the porosity) the more rapidly groundwater will move through the aquifer

Teays RiverTeays River

Destroyed by glaciers of Pleistocene Ice Age 2 million years ago

Cincinnati Water Balance Cincinnati Water Balance

• Stormwater managementStormwater management• Combined sewer overflowsCombined sewer overflows

PUR DemonstrationPUR Demonstration

Common Treatment StepsCommon Treatment Steps

• CoagulationCoagulation• FiltrationFiltration• DisinfectionDisinfection

Other methodsOther methods

• Activated carbonActivated carbon• Ion exchange/chemical precipitationIon exchange/chemical precipitation• Membranes Membranes • Air strippingAir stripping

(then comes distribution)(then comes distribution)

Greater Cincinnati Water Greater Cincinnati Water WorksWorks

Major Treatment Processes:

•Settling (coagulation, flocculation)

•Filtration

•Disinfection