Water Pollution

Big Idea

The LARGER the population GROWS the greater

the pollution will FLOW and the negative effects
well KNOW.

http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/overviewfs.html

Point Source Pollution

vs.
Nonpoint Source Pollution
Whats the difference?

Point Source Pollution

comes from a specific

source, like a pipe

factories, industry,
municipal treatment
plants

can be monitored and

controlled by a permit
system

What is nonpoint source pollution?

Nonpoint Source
(NPS) Pollution is
pollution associated
with stormwater or
runoff

NPS pollution cannot

be traced to a direct
discharge point such
as a wastewater
treatment facility

Examples of NPS

oil & grease from cars

fertilizers
animal waste
grass clippings
septic systems

sewage & cleaners from

boats
household cleaning
products
litter

Pollutant Transport Mechanisms

NPS pollutants build up on land surfaces during dry

weather
Atmospheric deposition
Fertilizer applications
Animal waste
Automotive exhaust/fluid leaks

Pollutants are washed off land surfaces during

precipitation events (stormwater runoff)

Stormwater runoff will flow to lakes and streams

Point or Non-Point Source?

Eroding soil from construction sites
Leachate from landfill
Overflowing hog lagoon
Pesticides
Septic tank leak
Storm water run-off from city streets

Point or Non-Point Source?

Eroding soil from construction sites
NON-POINT
Leachate from landfill POINT
Overflowing hog lagoon
POINT
Pesticides
NON-POINT
Septic tank leak
POINT
Storm water run-off from city streets
NON-POINT

Pollutant build-up and wash off are affected

by land use.

Imperviousness increases runoff

Land use changes impact build up

Linking Land Use to Water Quality

More Imperviousness = More Water

What is impervious cover?

roads, rooftops, parking lots, and other hard

surfaces that do not allow stormwater to soak
into the ground

predominant American vegetation

Impervious Cover
provides a surface for
accumulation of
pollutants
leads to increased
polluted runoff and
flooding

inhibits recharge of
groundwater

Impact of Nonpoint Source Pollution

fish and wildlife
recreational water
activities
commercial fishing
tourism
drinking water quality

Pollutants Found in Runoff

Sediment
Soil particles
transported from
their source

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

Oxygen depleting material
Leaves
Organic material

Toxics
Pesticides
Herbicides
Fungicides
Insecticides
Metals (naturally occurring
in soil, automotive
emissions/ tires)
Lead
Zinc
Mercury
Petroleum Hydrocarbons
(automotive exhaust and
fuel/oil)
Debris
Litter and illegal dumping

Nutrients
Various types of materials that
become
dissolved and
suspended in water (commonly
found in fertilizer and plant material):
Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Bacteria/ Pathogens
Originating from:
Pets
Waterfowl
Failing septic systems

Thermal Stress
Heated runoff,
removal of
streamside
vegetation

Potential Sources of Pollutants

Found in Residential Areas

Nutrients: Fertilizers
and septic systems
Pathogens: Pet waste
and septic systems
Sediment:
Construction, road
sand, soil erosion
Toxic: Pesticides,
household products
Debris: Litter and illegal
dumping
Thermal: heated runoff,
removal of streamside
vegetation

Pollutants from Agriculture

Sediment
Nutrients
Pathogens
Pesticides

Why are these pollutants important?

Sediment reduces light penetration

in stream, clogs gills of fish and
aquatic invertebrates.
Nutrients act as fertilizer for algae &
aquatic plants which can cause
highly varying dissolved oxygen
levels. At low DO levels, the
aquatic life has the potential to be
harmed.
Toxics can impact life and
contaminate drinking water
supplies.
Bacteria/Pathogens are an indicator
of possible viruses present in the
system.

Inefficient Irrigation

Worldwide, the
amount of land under
irrigation has been
increasing.
Whether from
aquifers or surface
bodies of water, the
majority of the
freshwater we use for
irrigation is lost
before it ever
reaches the crops.

Figure 14-15

Inefficient Irrigation

Flood and Furrow Irrigation

Inefficient flood and

furrow irrigation, in which
fields are liberally flooded
with water that may
evaporate from shallow
standing pools, accounts
for 90% of irrigation
worldwide.
Over-irrigation leads to
waterlogging and
salinization, which affects
1/5 of farmland today and
reduces world farming
income by $11 billion.
Unfortunately, huge
amounts of groundwater
are being used up for little
gain; because of the dry
climate and inefficient
irrigation methods.

We Can Cut Water Waste in

Irrigation

Flood irrigation

Wasteful

Center pivot, low pressure sprinkler

Low-energy, precision application

sprinklers

Drip or trickle irrigation, microirrigation

Costly; less water waste

Center pivot
(efficiency 80% with low-pressure
sprinkler and 9095% with LEPA
Drip irrigation
sprinkler)
Gravity flow
Water usually pumped from
(efficiency 9095%)
(efficiency 60% and 80% with surge valves) Above- or below-ground
underground and sprayed
Water usually comes from an
from mobile boom with
pipes or tubes deliver water
aqueduct system or a nearby river.
sprinklers.
to individual plant roots.
Fig. 13-20, p. 335

Solutions: Reducing Irrigation

Water Waste

Eutrophication

Most nutrients in water come from organic matter

(leaves, waste, etc.)

Nutrients are an essential part of any aquatic

ecosystem, but when slow-moving waters contain
too much, they are eutrophic.

Eutrophication

Eutrophication= build-up of organic matter in

water causing algal blooms

Outcomes:
Decreased sunlight
Decaying matter uses oxygen
Suffocation/Fish Kills

Artificial Eutrophication

Humans act as a catalyst by adding excess

nutrients to the soil
Main culprits= phosphates from fertilizers and
cleaning agents
Human activity can also cause thermal pollution

POLLUTION OF
GROUNDWATER

It can take hundreds to thousand of years

for contaminated groundwater to cleanse
itself of degradable wastes.

Nondegradable wastes (toxic lead, arsenic,

flouride) are there permanently.
Slowly degradable wastes (such as DDT)
are there for decades.
Groundwater has low flow rates, few bacteria,
& cold temps - all slow down recovery time
Avg. recycling time for groundwater = 1400
years

Leaking
tank

Water
table
Groundwater
flow
Free gasoline
dissolves in
Gasoline
leakage plumegroundwater
(liquid phase) (dissolved
phase)

Migrating
vapor phase

Contaminant plume movesWater well

with the groundwater

Fig. 21-8, p. 502

Surface water vs. Groundwater

Which is generally more polluted?
~ Surface Water

Which is harder to clean up?

~ Groundwater

Groundwater pollution sticks around...

Very cold, no bacterial breakdown

Very slow water movement: recharge can

take 100s or 1000s of years

Pollutants can stick to rocks in aquifer and

pollute new water

What Pollutes Groundwater?

Sources of Groundwater pollution...

landfills
leaky underground storage tanks
mines
septic tanks
hazardous waste - deep well injection
any pollutant in runoff that percolates

Laws

Clean Water Act surface water

1972 make water swimmable and fishable by

regulating point sources
1977 and 1987 storm water runoff
Section 404 requires permit for draining,
dredging, filling wetlands

Mitigation banking

Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) monitors

levels of contaminants in groundwater