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Water Resources

Water Resources. Preston High School. Objectives. Introduction Water Resources Case Study: Walkerton Crisis Conclusions. Water Cycle. Why Study the Water Cycle?. What is Hydrogeology?.

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Water Resources

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  1. Water Resources Preston High School

  2. Objectives • Introduction • Water Resources • Case Study: Walkerton Crisis • Conclusions

  3. Water Cycle

  4. Why Study the Water Cycle?

  5. What is Hydrogeology? • Study of the part of hydrology that deals with the occurrence, movement, and the quality of water beneath the Earth’s surface “All streams run to the sea but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again” Ecclesiastes 1:7

  6. What is groundwater? • Groundwater – a major link in the hydrologic cycle • Found underground in the spaces between particles of rock and soil, or in the crevices and cracks in rock – Aquifers • Always on the move! • Over 6 million Canadians rely on groundwater • Use of groundwater varies by Province

  7. Groundwater Consumption Percentage of population reliant on groundwater Agriculture Industry Municipalities

  8. Groundwater Quality • Naturally contains various constituents • Chemical nature of water continually evolves through the hydrologic cycle • Matter of taste, odour and clarity – popularity of bottled water! • For other uses different properties may be more important: • Industry  water must not be corrosive, types of suspended solids

  9. Capture Zone

  10. Aquifers

  11. Saline Intrusion

  12. Quest for Groundwater! • Exploration Stage – Search for a suitable aquifer • Evaluation – Design & analysis of groundwater wells, use of groundwater modeling • Exploitation – Optimal development

  13. Point and Non-Point Pollution • A point source is a single, identifiable source of pollution, such as a pipe or a drain. Industrial wastes are commonly discharged to rivers and the sea in this way. • Non-point sources of pollution are often termed ‘diffuse’ pollution and refer to those inputs and impacts which occur over a wide area and are not easily attributed to a single source. They are often associated with particular land uses, as opposed to individual point source discharges.

  14. Point and Non-Point Pollution

  15. Groundwater Contamination

  16. Urban Non Point Sources of Pollution

  17. Point Source

  18. Non-Point Source

  19. How does the water get to my faucet?

  20. Case Study: Walkerton Water Crisis

  21. Walkerton Crisis • E. coli outbreak occurred in May 2000 • 7 people died and 100’s ill • Cause: contamination of a well not adequately chlorinated, from manure runoff from nearby commercial cattle farms • Human error resulted in lost lives, lost health, lost productivity, and loss of public trust • Ontario Ministry of the Environment has embarked on a series of legislative initiatives to safe drinking water

  22. Conclusions • Justice O’Connor’s “Report on the Walkerton Inquiry” (http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/walkerton/) • Need to invest in state of the art water delivery system • Push for Source Water Protection in all the Conservation Authorities in Ontario • Improved, more sensitive tools and methods to monitor microbial risks to surface and groundwater • Measures to detect, treat, and respond to multiple contaminants • All levels of government should coordinate action plans to fully protect water sources

  23. Water Legislation • Environmental Protection Act • Environmental Bill of Rights Act • Ontario Water Resources Act (1990) • Safe Drinking Water Act (2002) • Nutrient Management Act (2002) • Drinking Water Source Protection Act (2004)

  24. Overview • Water Cycle and its interconnection with the environment • Looked at hydrogeology and how we explore and exploit our water resources • Discuss the various issues dealing with groundwater • Concluded with the case study of the Walkerton tragedy

  25. A flood of Pigs- Environmental Science p . 448 • Describe the damage of Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Provide 3 examples • What is dinoflagellate Pfiesteria? Why is it so dangerous? What is Water Pollution? P. 448 -450 • Provide examples of point sources and non – point sources within the text • What is atmospheric deposition? In terms of finding the sources, why is this difficult? For further thinking – Do you think that water pollution is worse now than it was in the past? What considerations go into a judgement like this? How do you personal experiences influence your opinion?

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