Water Resources Exam II
National Parks Service
1916 Manages 384 National Parks Protect land, surface water, and ground water resources within parks Also applies to preventing water use outside park as it may impact parks Designates and manages wild and scenic rivers
pH low
Acid rain
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Assist in recovery from disasters Water related -> respond to flooding, contamination Responsible for development of flood plain maps and administration of National Flood Insurance Program
What are the main elements of the Connecticut Aquifer Protection Program?
Assist municipal aquifer protection agencies with implementation, provide training for officials, regulate facilities located within aquifer protection areas, and educate the public about ground water protection.
1980. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
Authorized EPA to deal with accidental spills and releases of hazardous waste Gave the EPA law enforcement inspection authority They conduct investigations and place sites on NPL and conduct litigation
How might treatment methods for groundwater and surface water differ?
By the nature of groundwater, it is more dynamic. As it migrates down through the soil and rock to become groundwater its composition continues to change. Granular particles generally filter out suspended material and microorganisms. As time goes on dissolves particles change. Over time the hardness of the water can increase for groundwater. Therefore a water softener may needed to be used for groundwater, as well as a desalination process. Surface water generally does not have these problems, but it has a higher microorganism potential and may need more intense disinfection treatment (chlorine, UV, ozone).
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
Charged with protection of marine mammals, manages coastal areas Involved in protection and reintroduction of Salmon in NW U.S.
Lincoln, NE
City's drinking water comes from wells Raw well water has a high level of iron and manganese (aeration and chlorination are used to combat these, while new processes involve ozone) After filtration, chlorine and ammonia are added (secondary disinfectant) The water is characterized as having moderately high total dissolved solids, neutral to basic pH, high alkalinity, and hardness would be classified as high
Which act gives the Federal government the responsibility to regulate wetlands?
Clean water Act
What is a disadvantage of UV?
During evolution, the cells may adapt to UV irradiation by developing several repair mechanisms. A distinction is made between photoreactivation and dark reactivation. This means that permanent deactivation of microorganisms by way of UV systems is impossible. Such effects must by all means be taken into consideration when designing and operating the system.
Describe the cause and symptoms of two water born diseases
Dysentery - bacteria that lead to an infection in the intestines, leads to stomach problems, diarrhea, cramping Cholera - contracted from bacteria, infection in the small intestine, causes vomiting, diarrhea, and can lead to death
1976. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
EPA charged with regulating land disposal of hazardous waste Makes generators responsible for wastes from generation to disposal Includes manufacturing facilities and waste water treatment plants Amended in 1984 to cover Underground Storage Tanks and to allow states with EPA approval to regulate USTs
Bureau of Land Management
Created in 1946 to administer federal lands in west, 1/8 of land in US, 40% of fed. land Manage land for municipal use (recreation, resource production (mining, timber), archaeology, etc Water conservation major management issue
What is an DNAPL? Why are they so difficult to clean up in groundwater?
Dense non aqueous phase liquid - e.g. coal tar, not easily removable because they are non soluble and sink, leading to difficulties locating and extracting them. They are also expensive to clean up
1972. Clean Water Act
Designed to protect interstate and intrastate waters Required permits to discharge pollutants Funded construction programs for wastewater treatment plants
What are emerging contaminants? Provide three examples. How are their concentrations currently regulated? How might we curtail their spread in the environment?
Emerging contaminants are chemicals that have been detected in global drinking water supplies at trace levels and for which the risk to human health is not yet known. They include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, herbicides and endocrine disrupting compounds. We could take the precautionary principle. Find ways to test and research their health effects.
Doctrine of Prior Appropriation
Established "water right" to divert a quantity of water from a stream for beneficial use Established a priority date on stream based on "first in time, first in right" If had earlier priority date you had superior right to water that could not be curtailed by those who came after If you did not use it, you lose it Established the right to sell, lease "water right" without having to sell land Adopted by arid west and is applied in support of diverting water for irrigation, shipping water between and within states, shipping water from reservoirs, and piping groundwater supplies
1996. Safe Water Drinking Act Amendments
Established Source Water Assessment and Protection program and EPA as lead agency to safeguard drinking water sources
1974. Safe Drinking Water Act
Established drinking water standards (MCLs) Designated the EPA as the lead agency
Environmental Protection Agency (general)
Established in 1970 (Richard Nixon) Regulatory agency established to develop and enforce environmental standards and protect the environment (air, water, land)
Gifford Pinchot
Established the modern definition of conservation, founded forest service
Cryptosporidium
Feces from human or animals
Preservation of fish and wildlife lead to conflicts between?
Fish industry and mills.
What water quality parameter is a measure of whether soap sods and scale form?
Hardness
SW 846
Hazardous waste test methods Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
1977. Clean Water Act Amendments
Implemented National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Created permitting process for waste water discharge Section 404, requires permit from USACE to dredge or destroy a wetland, EPA has veto power, USFS and USFWS have advisor roles
Metals
Industrial wastes, Earth's crust
Chromium
Industry
Scales of water resource law
International, national, regional, local
A wetland is an area that...
Is covered with water all year long, for a portion including the growing season, has water near the surface
UV Disinfection
It disrupts microbe DNA. It leaves no taste or odor, no harmful by-products, and destroys many pathogens
Trichloroethene
Metal cleaning and degreasing operations
CT Department of Consumer Protection
License professionals - well drillers, PE, plumbers, well records
Anadromous fish are fish that?
Live as adults in saltwater but spawn in freshwater.
1969. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Made federal government protector of environment Required federal agencies to develop EIS to consider the impacts of proposed federal projects Created Council on Environmental Quality
Bureau of Reclamation
Main federal agency charged with developing water resources in the west Primary efforts related to development of irrigation projects to promote settlement in arid west Nation's largest producer of hydroelectric power Managing existing water projects Promotes water conservation Develops local partnerships
Army Corps of Engineers
Military and Civilian responsibilities Water related activities Flood control and navigation improvement (levees, dams, dredging) Wetland protection Environmental restoration
U.S. Forest Service
Mine restoration and remediation surface groundwater contamination on federal forests Main responsibility is to manage national forests (8.5% of U.S. land area) Protect timber and water
Arsenic
Mining
Which act first gave the public an opportunity to participate in Federal government environmental actions?
National Environmental Policy Act
Which act requires an EIS when federal action is taken?
National Environmental Policy Act
Which act requires the Federal government to consider alternative actions based on impacts to the environment?
National Environmental Policy Act
Water Resource Law Challenges
Needed for life, highly motile, and hidden
When we speak of nutrient pollution we are addressing what water quality constituent
Nitrogen/nitrates
Riparian Doctrine
No one owns the water in a river Navigable rivers are owned by the general public and cannot be obstructed Landowners have the right to use water from a river as it flows through their property (Riparian right) A riparian owner may only use that quantity of water that is beneficial (no harm to other uses) Riparian rights can only be sold or transferred with the property Developed from Roman and English Common Law
List three ways a water supply can be disinfected.
Ozone, UV, chlorine
Benzene
Petrol
What are the positive and negative aspects of adding chlorine to water during treatment?
Positive - prevents millions of deaths worldwide, kills microorganisms, provides residual disinfection. Negative - can have an unpleasant taste, does not guarantee 100% disinfection, can produce trihalomethanes, does not penetrate suspended particles in water
U.S. Geological Survey
Provides scientific information (understand Earth, minimize loss of life and property, manage water, manage biological integrity, enhance and protect quality of life) Has water resource offices in every state Monitors surface and ground water Conducts surface and aquifer studies Advises other federal agencies and state governments
What is the most common problem associated with water supplies and its cause? What can be done to fix the problem?
Regions not having access to safe, clean water. This can cause disease and other health problems, especially for children. Protect water resources, implement water as more of a human right.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Regulate non-federal hydroelectric projects (56% of U.S. hydroelectric power) Regulate dams, reservoirs, transmission lines Issues licenses (evaluate environmental impact of projects) Implementing the 2013 Hydro power Regulatory Efficiency Act -Promote construction of more small scale hydroelectric generating facilities on preexisting dams
1970. National Environmental Policy Act
Requires federal agencies to consider environmental issues in decision making processes by considering environmental impacts of their proposed actions and alternatives to those actions Must prepare EIS EPA reviews and comments on EIS, maintains a filing system, and assures its own actions comply with NEPA 40 CFR 1502 Requires assessments of alternative actions, including no actions Requires evaluation of environmental effects of alternatives Requires public participation Requires cost benefit analyses including un-quantifiable environmental impacts, values, and amenities
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Responsible to conserve and protect fish and wildlife 1958 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (required wildlife to be considered in federal projects) 1973 Endangered Species Act -Defining and protecting endangered species
What causes acid mine drainage?
Rocks stained by acid mine drainage on Shamokin Creek Acid mine drainage, acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD), or acid rock drainage (ARD) is the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines. Acid rock drainage occurs naturally within some environments as part of the rock weathering process but is exacerbated by large-scale earth disturbances characteristic of mining and other large construction activities, usually within rocks containing an abundance of sulfide minerals
List three federal Laws that protect our water supply
Safe Drinking Water Act Clean Water Act Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Factors that influence water quality
Sedimentation. Runoff. Erosion. Dissolved oxygen. pH. Temperature.
List five major sources of water pollution
Sewage, oil pollution, salt pollution, industrial waste, radioactive substances, agricultural pollution
New York City Water Supply
Sources from Catskill/Delaware system & Croton system Water flows by gravity through tunnels, then pumped to distribution hubs. Has a major watershed protection program Water characterized as having low total dissolved solids, neutral pH, low alkalinity, and hardness would be classified as soft The city does an enormous amount of water quality monitoring with over 1,000 stations
What is the main difference between surface and groundwater supplies?
Surface water supplies tend to contain more suspended material (high turbidity), so effort is generally placed on removing these particles.
Who should I contact to find out what water quality parameters I should test for my new well at my home in Connecticut?
The CT Department of Public Health, Drinking Water Division. They develop info and guidance documents for homeowners dealing with water quality in private wells.
Aaron Burr
The Manhattan Company was formed in 1799 with the ostensible purpose of providing clean water to Lower Manhattan. However, the main interest of the company was not in the supply of water but rather in becoming a part of the banking industry in New York.
What is the Water Source Protection Program?
The SWPP is a joint project with USDA , FSA, and NRWA - it is a non-profit wastewater member utility organization designed to help prevent pollution of surface and groundwater used by rural residents.
In what way(s) is the water system of New York City similar to that of Rome?
The amount of water going to each city is comparable. Water is coming from Northern areas and being carried by gravity (NYC- tunnels, Rome- channels), Protection of the watershed is a primary driver in water management
Rome
The major sources of water for Rome are from spring complexes in karstic limestones in the foothills located outside of the city Major spring complex is Peschiera in the Velino Valley Water flows from galleries to caves, then out of hillside, then to the control building Minimal treatment ; chlorine (no fluoride), strictly monitored Water has high alkalinity and is very hard Not stored for any length of time
Las Vegas, NV
The water demand is very high while water is scarce in this region Most of the water comes from Lake Mead In the past, wells declined and so did the water/land Melting snow from Rocky's to the Hoover Dam The water is hard with high total dissolved solids Reservoirs and conservation aims have been high
Why is it difficult to predict whether a well drilled into bedrock in CT will have a high yield or not?
They are highly variable and we generally don't know whether the yield will be significant enough (ranges from hundreds of gallons/min to only a couple of gallons/min).
The New York City water supplies relies on a tunnel system that is hundreds of feet below ground. Why?
They are used to bring water from upstate reservoirs by gravity.
Why is flood irrigation used if most of the water is lost to evaporation?
This is one of the oldest methods. It required minimal technology, minimal expense, and is easy to implement. It also has the advantage of minimizing salinity increase of soils, especially in arid environments (where there is most agriculture)
What water quality parameter is a measure of the level of bacteria that might be present?
Total coliform
What water quality parameter is a measure of the degree of anoxia?
Total dissolved oxygen
What water quality parameter is a measure of total anions and cations in water?
Total dissolved solids
The creation of the National Forests helped lead to the concept of watershed protection
True
What is the principle role of the following with respect to water resources?
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers - flood control and navigation improvement (dams, levees, dredging), wetland protection, environmental restoration U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - developing water resources in the west, irrigation projects to promote settlement, promotes water conservation, manage water projects, develop partnerships CT department of health - responsible for administration of all state and federal drinking water regulations (Drinking water division), source protection, drinking water standard, regulate suppliers, information outreach CT department of environmental protection - protect and restore surface and groundwater, protect supply, human health, safety, protect fish and aquatic life, promote pollution prevention, preserve and enhance water based recreation, wastewater treatment, wetland restoration, dam construction and safety, remediation of contaminant sites
National Resources and Conservation Services
Used to be Soil Conservation Service, part of USDA, renamed in 1994 Main purpose to protect soil resources Work with farmers to develop conservation programs and best management practices to protect water resources (e.g. storage of fuels and pesticides on farms)
Tritium
radioactive by-product
Two Problems with excess groundwater withdrawal in Las Vegas
subsidence, water level decline
