Below is a sample of a project that I had completed in my high school Environmental Science class.

The purpose of this project was to explore the water supply of a state in the United States other than Wisconsin. I chose the state of Arizona because the conditions are quite different than the conditions of Wisconsin, and I wanted to research a state that I had little prior knowledge about. To begin this research, I explored various websites supported by the Government. Through this, I was able to ensure that my sources were reliable, and that they provided me with accurate information. Because the usage and condition of water is ever-changing, it is important that the information I found was current. While I learned quite a bit about Arizonas water usage, water treatment processes, and as well as pollution in Arizonas water, time management and collaboration were t wo other areas in which I gained knowledge through the completion of this project. Because this project was done mostly out of class, it was important that it was done in a timely manner in order to present to the class. Additionally, sharing what I learned about the state of Arizona with my classmates was also a crucial part of the project. Water Project-Arizona I. States Water Use a. Major Cities i. Phoenix (1,445,632) ii. Tucson (520,116) iii. Mesa (439,041) Water Usage

CAP: Diverts Colorado River water to areas in Arizona (an aqueduct) Effluent: Water runoff/overflow *In 2011, about 97 percent of Phoenixs water came from surface water

b. Watershed:

Lake Pleasant

*Phoenixs primary sources of surface water come from the Salt, Verde and Colorado rivers *Water is stored in Lake Pleasant and then delivered to one of Phoenixs six water treatment plants c. Water treatment process Phoenix i. ScreeningLarge particles are removed by screens ii. Presedimentation Large particles settle to the bottom of a tank iii. Coagulation, Flocculation Alum or ferric chloride is added to the water causing tiny particles to cling together iv. Sedimentation Particles settle to the bottom of the tank v. Filtration Water passes through filters removing remaining matter vi. DisinfectionChlorine is added to prevent microbial growth II. Pollution a. Nonpoint Pollution: i. Microbial contaminants (viruses and bacteria): from wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, agriculture, livestock, or wildlife Ex: Nitrates ii. Pesticides and herbicides: from agriculture, golf courses, and urban storm water runoff Ex: Aldrin *Storm water carries contaminants to rivers

Point Pollution: iii. Organic chemical contaminants: from byproducts of industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, and septic systems Ex: Arsenic, Chromium, DEHP iv. Radioactive contaminants: result of oil and gas production, leaks at military facilities (Kerr-McGee facility), and mining activities Ex: Perchlorate b. Effects of pollutants i. Nitrate: 1. Effect on humans: shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or death in infants 2. Effect on environment: kill aquatic life and lead to excessive plant and algae growth ii. Aldrin: 1. Effect on humans: headache, dizziness, muscle twitching, or severe seizures 2. Effect on environment: does not allow aquatic environment to reproduce normally iii. Chromium: 1. Effect on humans: asthma, kidney or liver damage 2. Effect on environment: toxic to plants, birds and land animals (death or low growth rate) iv. Arsenic: 1. Effect on humans: skin cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, or lymphatic cancer 2. Effect on environment: alters genetics of plants and fish and potentially deadly for plants and fish v. Chromium: 1. Effect on humans: irritates skin and can damage kidney, liver, and nerve tissues 2. Effect on environment: causes slow growth of crops irrigated with contaminated water, damage gills of fish that swim in contaminated water vi. DEHP: 1. Effect on humans: damages liver 2. Effect on environment: attaches to soil, contaminating ground and surface water vii. Perchlorate: 1. Effect on humans: harm thyroid and poses risk to infants and pregnant women 2. Effect on environment: causes slow growth of crops irrigated with contaminated water III. Solutions/conservation practices a. Low water use conservation i. Low flow fixtures b. Landscaping water conservation i. Gray water system ii. Drip irrigation iii. Plant plants that adapt to soil and require no/little water *Rebates are offered for fixtures that help to conserve water c. Treatment to reduce arsenic in water i. $75 million budget to remove arsenic

Bibliography http://www.citypopulation.de/USA-Arizona.html http://arizonaexperience.org/people/arizonas-water-uses-and-sources http://www.southwestclimatechange.org/impacts/people/water-supply http://www.verdeguide.org/our-watershed-partner-the-colorado-river http://www.mesaaz.gov/water/water_treatment_process.aspx http://www.azwater.gov/AzDWR/StatewidePlanning/Conservation2/ http://sustainability.asu.edu/practice/what-asu-is-doing/water-conservation.php http://www.gilbertaz.gov/water/ http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/water/az1503.pdf http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20121110phoenix-website-storm-water-pollution.html http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/uscities/pdf/phoenix.pdf http://www.chromatography-online.org/directory/analtcat-24/page.html http://www.ccme.ca/sourcetotap/nitrates.html http://www.environment.gov.au/atmosphere/airquality/publications/sok/chromium.html http://www.turi.org/About/Library/TURI_Publications/Massachusetts_Chemical_Fact_Sheets/DEHP_Fact_ Sheet/DEHP-Facts/Health_and_Environment http://www.eoearth.org/article/Fate_and_effects_of_perchlorate http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/cr.htm http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/as.htm 2011 Water Quality Report, City of Phoenix Water Services Department