Introduction to Water Flashcards
Water is the ? biggest problem facing humanity over the next 50 years?
Second
Define liquid effluent
Wastewater - treated or untreated - that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer or industrial outfall. Generally refers to wastes discharged into surface waters.
Give 5 disposal options for liquid effluent
- Main sewers
- Surface waters (rivers, lakes, lagoons etc.)
- Ground water
- On-site treatment
- Off-site treatment
List the environmental management hierarchy from most favoured to least favoured option
- Prevention
- Minimisation
- Re-use
- Recycling
- Energy recovery
- Disposal
Give 6 impacts we can make by implementing the environmental management hierarchy
- Reduce pollutants (inc. GHG emissions)
- Public health
- Environmental conservation (protect ecosystem services)
- Save energy
- Conserve resources (water)
- Create jobs
What does ecosystem services mean?
An environmental feature has value beyond what it looks like and the water provides you with a service - it is only there because the natural environment is maintaining it as being clean and useful.
In what condition must waster be returned to its natural source?
In the same state as the rest of the water in that system
How much of the water on Earth is usable?
97% is in the ocean. 2.5% is freshwater but 2% in locked in glaciers, icecaps and groundwater. Therefore 1% of the water on Earth is accessible to humans.
A tiny pool (0.3%) of this is then accessible in rivers and lakes.
How much of the Earth is covered by water?
71%
How much water does one person use each day and how does this break down?
7.5-15 L/day direct use
2.5-3 on survival (drinking and food) (depends on climate and individual physiology)
2-6 on basic hygiene (depends on social and cultural norms)
3-6 on basic cooking needs (depends on food type, social and cultural norms)
Define water scarcity
Water scarcity is both a natural and a human-made phenomenon. There is enough freshwater on the planet for seven billion people but it is distributed unevenly and too much of it is wassted, polluted and unsustainably managed.
Define apparent scarcity
Plenty of water, but is inefficiently and wastefully used
Define real scarcity
Insufficient rain-fall or large populations reliant on an unsustainable resource
How many people lack access to a safe water source?
1 in 9 people (780 million, 2.5x the population of the US)
What has been identified as the major cause of sewer blockages in the UK?
Wet wipes (93%) Fatbergs are also a problem
What is Ofwat?
Office of Water Services - economic regulator of water services in England and Wales
How many water suppliers are there in the UK?
20-25
What is the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and when was it first published?
It is an operational tool for setting the objectives for water protection for the future of the EU set in October 2000
Give 3 reasons why Veolia use AD during water treatment?
- Minimal sludge production (a real issue with wastewater treatment)
- Limited energy consumption
- Low nutrient needs
Which three national issues in the UK are likely to contribute to water demand in coming decades?
- Population increase
- Temperature increase
- Summer rainfall increase
How much could water demand increase by in England and Wales by 2050?
by 35%
Name 3 freshwater sources
- Rain
- Surface water
- Groundwater
What is the split between surface and ground water in the UK?
2/3 surface, 1/3 ground
How much water is abstracted/year from tidal and non-tidal sources?
Tidal 8.5 billion m3
Non-tidal 13.7 billion m3
Name 3 tidal abstraction sources
Sea, oceans and rivers
Name 2 non-tidal abstraction sources
Surface water, ground water
Who licenses abstraction in the UK?
The Environment Agency
What are relying on with a hosepipe ban?
Good will
How do abstractors who require a constant supply of water deal with droughts?
Storing water in advance
What are the 3 exceptions to abstraction licensing?
- Small rates of daily abstraction for domestic and agricultural purposes
- The removal of water in relation to land drainage, mining, quarrying and related activities
- In an emergency (fire-fighting)
What trends can we see in general, and in tidal and non-tidal abstractions in recent years?
In general public water usage is staying constant despite increase in population
Non-tidal is increasing
Tidal is staying pretty level
List 7 reasons abstraction levels vary
- Weather
- Climate change
- Economics (inflation affects usage and treatment - leaving the EU could have a huge affect if industries leave)
- Level of activity in different sectors
- Population (size, distribution, composition, social & cultural norms)
- Improved efficiency of water usage
- Changes to abstraction licenses (new, modification, revocation)
Give 11 different solutions to water scarcity
- Increase storage - new reservoirs (build time, planning, cost - billions)
- Desalination (expensive, power hungry)
- Water meters and raise price (metered homes use 10-15% less)
- Advanced technology (GM crops, reduce water losses and improve draught tolerance)
- Fix leaks (England and Wales water industry leaks 3.28 billion L/day)
- Cross country pipeline (transport water over long distance, from water abundant regions to water stressed regions)
- Virtual water trade (import food and industrial goods from water abundant regions, however economy of water stress may be too weak to afford the trades)
- Control immigration/direct placement (direct housing from parts of the UK like the SE who suffer shortages to the NW or Scotland who are less susceptible)
- Educate (on scarcity, technology (using more water efficient washing machines etc.), purity)
- Reduce consumption
- Drink wastewater (public perception problems, origin)
