U7L5 Water Resource Controversies

Question 1

What is the benefit in private water companies?

Answer 1

Private companies can invest more money and bring in employees that have special expertise. They can provide a higher level of care and devotion to enhance the wastewater system.

Question 2

How do privately owned water companies help municipalities?

Answer 2

Privately owned companies help municipalities because they pay local, state, and federal tax.

Question 3

Why do public water companies face many concerns?

Answer 3

Due to lack of funding, public water utilities are facing challenges with replacing and updating outdated infrastructure and aging pipes.

Question 4

What is the focus of private companies?

Answer 4

Profit is the focus of private companies. Private companies ultimately answer to their stakeholders, not consumers.

Question 5

How would charge more? Private or public companies?

Answer 5

Private companies may charge citizens more than a government would.

Question 6

Explain the controversy involving the privatization of water taking place in Michigan.

Answer 6

On April 2, 2018, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality approved a plan that would allow a bottled water company to pump 400 gallons of water a minute from White Pine Springs. That equates to over 210 billion gallons of water a year. The only requirement is that the company pay $200 a year to the state of Michigan for the permit fee.

Question 7

What does municipality mean?

Answer 7

A town or district that has local government.

Question 8

Bottled water manufacturers’ marketing campaigns capitalize on isolated instances of contaminated public drinking water supplies by encouraging the perception that their products are purer and safer than tap water. How does this claim appear to be false?

Answer 8

The reality is that tap water is actually held to more stringent quality standards than bottled water, and some brands of bottled water are just tap water in disguise.

Question 9

How many gallons of oil are used to make and transport plastic bottles?

Answer 9

Approximately 1.5 million gallons of oil–enough to run 100,000 cars for a whole year are used to make plastic water bottles, while transporting these bottles burns thousands more gallons of oil.

Question 10

How does bottled water contribute to the water shortages?

Answer 10

The growth in bottled water production has increased water extraction in areas near bottling plants, in some cases leading to water shortages that affect nearby consumers and farmers.

Question 11

How many gallons of water are wasted during the purification process?

Answer 11

In addition to the millions of gallons of water used in the plastic-making process, 2 gallons of water are wasted in the same purification processes for every gallon that goes into the bottles.

Question 12

Only about __ percent of plastic water bottles are recycled, leaving the rest in landfills where it takes thousands of years for the materials to decompose.

Answer 12

10

Question 13

Compare the cost of bottled water and tap water?

Answer 13

bottled water can cost up to 10,000 times more per gallon than tap water

Question 14

What is the largest influence in water levels?

Answer 14

Precipitation

Question 15

What does hot periods, such as summer, do to water levels?

Answer 15

In very hot periods, such as summer, evaporation can lead to river level decreases.

Question 16

What does winter do water levels?

Answer 16

During the winter, snowfall accumulates and is stored until the spring.

Question 17

What does spring do to water levels?

Answer 17

In spring, melting snow and spring rain empty into streams and this increases water levels and flow.

Question 18

What does a dam do?

Answer 18

Constructing a dam creates a reservoir of water upstream. This increases the water level but decreases the water level downstream.

Question 19

What does global climate changes do to water levels?

Answer 19

Due to global climate changes, expected water levels are beginning to change as well. Areas on the U.S. East Coast are experiencing more precipitation, while areas in the western U.S. are experiencing drier summers. Many areas rely on snow melt to fill rivers. As the temperatures stay high in the mountains, snow will melt earlier in the season. This means by summer no snow melt is left to fill rivers and streams.

Question 20

What benefits do dams provide?

Answer 20

Hydropower
Irrigation
Flood control
Water storage

Question 21

What do damns affect negatively?

Answer 21

River’s water quality
Water supply
Aquatic organisms
The surrounding ecosystem

Question 22

How do dams negatively affect water quality?

Answer 22

They can lead to algal blooms and increase the salt levels of the water

Question 23

What is the definition of hydropower?

Answer 23

Power produced by capturing the energy of flowing water

Question 24

What is the definition of algal bloom?

Answer 24

Rapid growth in the algae population in a body of water

Question 25

How does a dam that produces electrical work?

Answer 25

The dam controls the water flow and can create a reservoir upstream. When the water is released, it flows through the dam where a turbine is located. The mechanical energy of the moving water turns the turbine. The generator converts the kinetic energy of the turbine into electricity. The transformers convert the electricity to a higher voltage. Power lines transmit electricity to homes and businesses.

Question 26

How are aquatic animals affected by dams?

Answer 26

Now that the dam is complete, fish cannot cross it.

Question 27

What things, other than animals, are trapped by the dam? How does this affect the water?

Answer 27

Sediments and nutrients in the water cannot move like before. The trapped sediments and nutrients cause excessive algae growth, which depletes the oxygen. This makes the water unfit for aquatic animals, swimming, and drinking.

Question 28

How does the salinity of the water increase because of the dam?

Answer 28

The dam stops water from flowing downstream so the water spreads out, creating a larger surface area. Evaporation begins to happen more quickly, which leaves behind saltier water. This salinity hurts aquatic organisms, corrodes pipes and machinery, and affects farming.

Question 29

What happens to the riverbed due to the installation of dams?

Answer 29

As the water falls from the dam, it picks up sediment and carries it downstream. This deepens the riverbed. The deeper river carries more water which it drains from the aquifer. As a result, the groundwater level drops and plants and wells cannot access it.

Question 30

Which regions often face physical water scarcity?

Answer 30

Arid regions

Question 31

What does economic water scarcity mean?

Answer 31

Refers to situations where proper infrastructure in water distribution, water recycling and treatment, and sanitation are lacking, leading to inadequate water supply.

Question 32

Rio Grande Water Crisis

Cause:
increase in temperature from climate change

Effects:
???

Answer 32

• decline in mountain snowpack
• reduced volume of water in stream
• fluctuation in water levels and flow downstream
• periods of droughts downstream

Question 33

Rio Grande Water Crisis

Cause:
decline in precipitation

Effect:
???

Answer 33

• drought

Question 34

Rio Grande Water Crisis

Cause:
population growth

Effects:
???

Answer 34

• increase in demand for water supply
• physical water scarcity downstream
• economic water scarcity downstream

Question 35

Rio Grande Water Crisis

Cause:
overuse of water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses

Effects:
???

Answer 35

• decline in ecosystem
• physical water scarcity downstream
• economic water scarcity downstream

Question 36

Rio Grande Water Crisis

Cause:
construction of dams

Effects:
???

Answer 36

• decreased water levels and flow downstream causing periods of droughts
• increase in water salinity
• increase in algal blooms

Question 37

What was the Colorado River Compact?

Answer 37

To ensure equitable allocation of water, the Colorado River Compact agreement was made in 1922 and divided the river basin into an upper and lower basin. The compact allocated 7.5 million acre-feet of water to each basin annually.

Question 38

From 1998 to March 2014, the Colorado River did not reach the Gulf of California. Why was this?

Answer 38

This is because population growth caused an increase in demand. Climate change, dams (such as the Hoover Dam), and diversion of the river to irrigate caused a decrease in supply.

Question 39

What is water management like in wasteful cites?

Answer 39

Basic water services are largely met but the flood risk can be high and wastewater treatment is handled inefficiently. Waste may be almost completely dumped in landfills which often leads to pollution. Wasteful cities lack environmental awareness and have inadequate infrastructure maintenance. The city most likely has low community involvement and awareness.

Question 40

How is water management like in water-wise cities?

Answer 40

Water-wise cities focus resources and energy into the treatment and reintegration of wastewater and solid waste. These cities fully integrate water into urban planning and local citizens and communities promote and are involved in sustainable decision making. Water-wise cities reduce the amount of water and energy used in storing, moving, and treating water. They utilize technology that allows the use of treated water. These cities develop urban drainage solutions integrated with urban infrastructure design so that rainwater can be captured and used.