Date post: | 10-Jan-2017 |
Category: |
Environment |
Upload: | golden-sunshine |
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WATER CYCLE
WATER CYCLE
WATER (Hydrologic) CYCLE
• It is a “redistribution” of water. A drought somewhere = more water somewhere else
Can you name the processes?
• http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.watercycle/
How are groundwater and surface water connected?
Percolation and Seepage
Earth = the natural filter
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 100’s or 1000’s 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
Case Study: Natural Gas Drilling• Marcellus Shale
• Fracking - Hydraulic Fracturing
• Loophole in Safe Water Drinking Act– natural gas companies don’t have to disclose chemicals being used
http://gaslandthemovie.com/
How can we protect groundwater?• Prevention is the key…
– Monitor aquifers & landfills– Requirements for old fuel tanks
• Leak detection system• Liability insurance
– Stricter regulations on toxic waste disposal• Above-ground storage of toxic waste...but then you
have toxic mud spills!