Water Quality And Sanitation

2 Pages 575 Words

Chemistry in Water


Surface Water Quality Case Study



Background

Surface water is defined as run-off from rain and snow (precipitation) that flows on the earth’s surface in rivers and streams, and collects in lakes and reservoirs. Ground water collects in underground aquifers and springs after soaking into the ground and percolating through fissures. Overuse and contamination of both water sources is a major concern in the U.S. and around the world.

Water quality can be compromised through overuse of the resource, resulting in changes in the ecosystems supported by these resources. Aquifers in the Western United States hold billions of gallons of water. These resources have been used in irrigation to bring millions of acres of otherwise unproductive farmland into production. As a result of these actions, major aquifers have been seriously depleted over the past thirty years. Since many aquifers are fed at a relatively slow rate, this water deficit may take hundreds of years to replace. In some geographic areas, the depletion of aquifers weakens surrounding rock structures that collapse and form sinkholes. Such consequences of the overuse of ground water are seldom observed, so much of the potential damage of this behavior go unnoticed.

Links to resources on aquifers

Artesian Aquifers, Kansas City Area Aquifer Protection

The consequences of overusing surface water are usually much more evident. Streams are dammed to provide power, flood control and water for irrigation. This disrupts the natural ecosystems that have evolved around free flowing rivers. In the Northeast, the migrations of salmon stocks from the ocean in their freshwater breeding grounds have been disrupted, resulting in a dramatic drop in the population of this popular and beautiful species. River ecosystems rely on periodic floods to provide nutrients for plants that grow along riverbanks and for aquatic life that lives in the river delta. Two ...