WATER, WATER POLLUTION AND WASTEWATER CHARACTERISTICS

Water Uses
According to Article 10, Water Code of the Philippines, water may be appropriated for the following purposes:

Domestic Municipal Irrigation Power generation Fisheries

Livestock raising Industrial Recreational, and Other purposes

Water uses

Use of water for domestic purposes - the utilization of water for drinking, washing, bathing, cooking or other household needs, home gardens, and watering of lawns or domestic animals.

Water uses

Use of water for municipal purposes - the utilization of water for supplying the water requirements of the community.

Water uses

Use of water for irrigation - the utilization of water for producing agricultural crops.

Water uses

Use of water for power generation - the utilization of water for producing electrical or mechanical power.

Water uses

Use of water for fisheries - the utilization of water for the propagation and culture of fish as a commercial enterprise.

Water uses

Use of water for livestock raising - the utilization of water for large herds or flocks of animals raised as a commercial enterprise.

Water uses

Use of water for industrial purposes - the utilization of water in factories, industrial plants and mines, including the use of water as an ingredient of a finished product.

Water uses

Use of water for recreational purposes - the utilization of water for swimming pools, bath houses, boating, water skiing, golf courses and other similar facilities in resorts and other places of recreation.

Physical Characteristics Chemical Characteristics Biological Characteristics Water Pollution Water/Effluent Quality Standards

A. Physical Characteristics of Water

Total, suspended and dissolved solids Turbidity clarity of water Color true color vs. apparent color Tastes and odors presence of decomposed organic material and volatile chemicals Temperature depends on source of water

B. Chemical Characteristics of Water

pH Dissolved cations and anions Alkalinity Acidity Carbon dioxide Hardness Conductivity

C. Biological Characteristics of Water

Bacteria Algae and fungi Other microorganisms

D. Water Pollution

accumulation of substances not naturally found in the environment or at greater concentrations or in different locations from usual (also referred to as pollutants) primarily caused by human activities

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D. Water Pollution

natural causes:
volcanic eruptions algal blooms storms earthquakes

Note: These cause major changes in water quality but those are not deemed to be pollution.

Sources of water pollutants

Point sources - harmful substances are emitted directly into a body of water

ex. a pipe dumping factory waste into a nearby river

Non-point sources - relatively scattered or diffused, having no specific location

ex. agricultural runoff which carries fertilizers and pesticides

Types of water pollutants

Sediments Infectious agents water polluted by pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protozoan (diseases transmitted via water include viral hepatitis, polio (viral), typhoid fever (bacterial), amoebic dysentery (protozoan), cholera (bacterial), schistosomiasis (parasitic worm) and salmonellosis (bacterial))
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Types of water pollutants

Organic chemicals - include solvents, pesticides and organic fertilizers Inorganic chemicals include metals, acids and salts (ex. arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium, copper, iron and zinc; toxic metals such as mercury and lead) Radioactive materials

Causes of water pollution

Excessive use of fertilizers, pesticides and other agricultural chemicals Sedimentation Improper waste disposal Oil spills Air pollution Thermal pollution

Effects of water pollution

Eutrophication - accumulation of nutrients in lakes that results to algal blooms Biochemical Oxygen Demand

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Effects of water pollution

Sedimentation - deposition of sediment in surface waters

sediments destroy spawning and breeding grounds for fish, smoother fish eggs and fry and thus reduces fish and shellfish populations suspended sediments decrease light penetration in water bodies, which may impair the growth of aquatic plants

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Effects of water pollution

Thermal pollution - lowers the dissolved oxygen content of water at the same time increasing the metabolic rate of aquatic organisms
can cause thermal shock, which is the sudden death of fish and other organisms that cannot escape in cooler neighboring waters can also increase the susceptibility of aquatic organisms to parasites, certain toxic substances and pathogens

D. Water Quality Standards

Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water

D. Water Quality Standards

Revised Water Usage and Classification/Water Quality Criteria Amending Section No. 68 and 69, Chapter III of the 1978 NPCC Rules and Regulations

Revised Effluent Regulations of 1990, Revising and Amending the Effluent Regulations of 1982

References

Linsley, R.K. and J.B. Franzini. 1979. Water-Resources Engineering. McGraw-Hill Kogakusha, Ltd. McGhee, T.J. 1991. Water Supply and Sewerage. McGraw-Hill, Inc. Schwab, G.O., D.D. Fangmeier, W.J. Elliot and R.K. Frevert. 1993. Soil and Water Conservation Engineering. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.