THIS IS THE MATERIAL FOR STUDENTS.

HRM 1-A

Water Management

Objectives

After reading this resource, you should be able to:

         Explain how water is cycled through the hydrologic cycle

         Explain the significance of groundwater, aquifers, and run off

         List the uses of water

         Identify the major sources of water pollution

         Differentiate between primary, secondary, and tertiary sewage treatments

 Water Issue

•The quality of water is important as its quantity for most humans as well as
for the commercial and industrial uses.

• Water must be substantially free of dissolve salts, plants and animals

wastes, and bacterial contamination to be suitable for human consumption

• Salt water cannot be consumed by humans or used for many industrial

processes.

• Fresh water is free of the salt found in ocean waters but only a tiny fraction
is available for use. For example : Unpolluted fresh water which is suitable
for drinking also known as Potable Water. But nowadays, there is a problem
when it comes to Potable fresh waters.

• Shortages of potable fresh water throughout the world can also be directly
attributed to human abuse in the form of pollution. Water pollution has
negatively affected water supplies throughout the world.

•World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 25 percent of

people in the world do not have access in fresh water

• According to United Nations Environment Programme, 5 to 10 million

deaths occur each year from water-related diseases like
cholera,malaria,dengue,fever, and dysentery.
The Hydrologic Cycle - All water is locked into a constant recycling
process called the hydrologic cycle. - There are four main stages in the
hydrologic cycle. They are :
• Evaporation
•Evapotranspiration or Transpiration •Condensation
• Precipitation

 Evaporation
- warmth from the sun causes water from oceans, lakes, streams, ice
and soils to rise into the air and turn into water vapour (gas). Water
vapour droplets join together to make clouds.

 Evapotranspiration or Transpiration
- is the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's
land and ocean surface to the atmosphere
 Condensation
- water vapour in the air cools down and turns back into liquid water.
 Precipitation - water (in the form of rain, snow, hail or sleet) falls
from clouds in the sky.

The hydrological cycle is begins with evaporation which involves adding

energy to molecules of a liquid so that it becomes a gas in which the
molecules are farther apart. As water is heated by the sun, surface
molecules become sufficiently energized to break free of the attractive force
binding them together, and then evaporate and rise as invisible vapour in
the atmosphere. When transpiration , plants take up the water from the soil
and transport it to the leaves, where it evaporates. So water vapour is also
emitted from plant leaves by a process called transpiration. When the
condensation is the reverse process in which molecules of a gas give up
energy, get closer and become a liquid. As water vapour rises, it cools and
eventually condenses, usually on tiny particles of dust in the air. When it
condenses it becomes a liquid again or turns directly into a solid (ice, hail or
snow). These water particles then collect and form clouds. When
precipitation, as warm, moist air cools, water droplets from the fall to the
land. Form of rain, snow and hail comes from clouds. Clouds move around
the world, propelled by air currents. For instance, when they rise over
mountain ranges, they cool, becoming so saturated with water that water
begins to fall as rain, snow or hail, depending on the temperature of the
surrounding air. Surface water that moves across the surface of the land
and enters streams and river also known as runoff. Excessive rain or
snowmelt can produce overland flow to creeks and ditches. Runoff is visible
flow of water in rivers, creeks and lakes as the water stored in the basin
drains out. Percolation is the process of a liquid slowly passing through a
filter. Some of the precipitation and snow melt moves downwards, percolates
or infiltrates through cracks, joints and pores in soil and rocks until it reaches
the water table where it becomes groundwater. The groundwater can flow to
support streams. It can also be tapped by wells. And the water table is the
level at which water stands in a shallow well.

Human Influence on the Hydrological Cycle

Human activities can significantly impact evaporation, runoff and
infiltration.
• When water is used for cooling in power plants or to irrigate crops, the rate
of evaporation is increased.
• Water impounded in reservoirs also evaporated rapidly.
• This rapid evaporation can affect local atmospheric conditions.
• Runoffs and the rate of infiltration by human activity.
• Removing the vegetation by logging or agriculture increases in runoff and
decreases in infiltration. Because there is more runoff, there is more erosion
of soil. • Human activities can influence the hydrologic cycle in many other
ways.
• The volumes and timing of river flows can be greatly affected by
channelling to decrease the impediments to flow, and by changing the
character of the watershed by paving, compacting soils, and altering the
nature of the vegetation. Urban complexes with a high percentage of
impervious, paved surfaces have increased runoff and reduced infiltration
major concern in urban areas is providing ways to carry, storm water away
rapidly. This involves designing and constructing surface waterways and
storm sewers.

Kinds of Water Use

 Domestic Water Use

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

 In North America over 90% of the water is used for domestic

purposes. It is supplied by municipal water systems. in our country,
Philippines 17% (4.85 billion m3) is for domestic consumption.
Treatment of raw water before distribution: – Water is FILTERED –
CHEMICALLY treated – DISINFECTED

• On average, each person in a North American home uses about 400 liters
(about 100 gallons) of domestic water each day. In the Metro Manila it shows
that the daily consumption of water ranges from a low of 20 liters up to a
high of 400 liters (80–100 gallons) of water per day for indoor home uses.
• Domestic use of water is relatively small component of the total water use,
URBAN GROWTH has created problems in the development, transportation
and maintenance of quality water supplies.

Causes of Water Loss:

– Municipalities do not pay attention to losses that occur
– Leaking
– Panic water storing
– Public attitude.

• Majority of Americas population gets their water delivered from public

supply system. The Philippines rivers, lakes, river basins and groundwater
reservoir are the main sources of water.
CAGAYAN RIVER– longest and largest river, discharges approximately 53,
943 million cubic meters of water annually.
• In the Philippines overall there is sufficient water but not enough in highly
population areas, especially during dry season– EL NIÑO.

 Agricultural Use of Water

Agriculture Industry is a major water consumer in the economy,

accounting for 70% of the worlds water consumption. The majority of
water is used for irrigation of crops and pastures.
• Irrigation is a vital part of the economy as without an efficient water
supply for irrigation, farmers could not grow crops and provide foods
for the large world population.

4 Methods of irrigation:
* SURFACE or FLOOD IRRIGATION - supplying the water to crops by having
the water flow over the fields or in furrows.
* SPRAY IRRIGATION - pumps to spray water on the crop
* TRICKLE IRRIGATION - series of pipes with strategically pieced opening so
the water delivered directly to the roots of the plants.
* SUBIRRIGATION - supplying water to plants through underground pipes.
Construction and Maintenance of Irrigation structures. Ex. * Dams * Canals *
Pipes * Pumps • Just like humans, crops need water to survive and grow. 3
Sources for agricultural water: – Ground water – Surface water – Rain water

NORTH AMERICA Ground water– 37% Agricultural and Surface Water- 63%
PHILIPPINES Ground water– 49% Agriculture– 32% 4 Main areas of water use
in agriculture: – Growing of crops – Supplying drinking water to livestock –
Cleaning farm buildings and animals – Supplying drinking water for farmers
and workers •
The Philippines is an agricultural country. Most citizens still live in rural
areas and support themselves through agriculture. The country's main
agricultural crops are rice, cor, coconut, sugarcane, bananas, pineapple,
coffee, mangoes, tobacco and abaca. • The El Niño weather phenomenon
could lead to an "Agriculture Crisis". Philippines irrigation system need
improvement so that we have better production.

• Industrial Use of Water

Manufacturing and other industries use water during the production process
for either creating their products or cooling equipment used in creating their
products. Water is also used by smelting facilities, petroleum refineries, and
industries producing chemical products, food, and paper products
Manufacturing and other industries use water during the production process
for either creating their products or cooling equipment used in creating their
products. Industrial Pollution does not happen overnight. It is a slow poison,
bleaching our water of its minerals, and life forms. According to the United
States Geological Survey (USGS), industrial water is used for: • Fabricating •
Processing • Washing • Diluting • Cooling • Industry also uses water to
dissipate and transport waste materials. The use of watercourses for waste
dispersal degrades the quality of the water and may reduce its usefulness for
other purposes. Especially if industrial wastes are toxic.

• In-Stream Use of Water In-Stream water does not remove water but makes
use of it in channels and basins. Therefore, all in-stream uses are non-
consumptive. It is the usage of water without removing it from its body. In-
Stream uses: ➢ Hydropower – In-Steam water’s energy flow is used to create
electricity, without harming and removing the water from its body.
Hydropower plants is used to convert water flow energy to electricity. ➢
Navigation –In-Stream water is used in water transportation. In-stream water
is used as a route in exploration. ➢ Recreation – In-Stream water is used in
an activity such as boating, swimming, kayak and such.

Ecosystem Support – Water is perhaps the most important component in an

ecosystem. In-Stream water supports ecosystem in many ways, it helps
living organisms by transporting oxygen, minerals, nutrients and waste
products to and from the cells. It also helps aquatic habitat.

AGRICULTURAL WATER POLLUTION • Agricultural activities are the

primary cause of WATER POLLUTION problems. The growth in crop
production has been achieved mainly through the intensive use of inputs
such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers that contribute such pollution.

CAUSES OF AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION: Pesticides and Fertilizers– once they

have been sprayed, it does not disappear completely. Some of it mixes with
the water and seep into the ground, the rest is absorbed by the plant itself.
Contaminated Water– use for irrigation. Much of the water use comes from
groundwater reservoirs, canals and through the rains. While plenty of it is
clean and pure water, other sources– polluted.
Soil Erosion and Sedimentation– the soil is comprised with many layers and it
is only the topmost layer that can support farming and grazing. Due to
inefficient farming practices, the soil is left open for erosion. The resulting
sedimentation causes the soil to build up in areas such as rivers, streams
and surrounding fields. EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION:
Health Related Issues– chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides make
their way into the groundwater that ends up in drinking water. Effect on
Aquatic Animals– fertilizers, manure, waste and ammonia turns into nitrate
that reduces the amount of oxygen present in water which results in the
death of many aquatic animals. • In the Philippines, the excessive use of
fertilizers and pesticides affect the quality of the soil and water that cause to
reduce the quality and safety of food produced. One of the largest water
pollution is "AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF" from large expanses of open fields.

AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF – is water from farm fields due to irrigation, rain

or melted snow that flowd over the earth that can absorb in the ground,
enter bodies of water or evaporate. • We need to have a good quality of
water for the success of agriculture but for it to happen we need to have
proper agriculture management practices that is necessary:

– Fertilizing soils and protecting crops – Stop promoting harmful system –

Managing water wisely – Planting crops – Minimizing air, water and climate
pollution

o INDUSTRIAL WATER POLLUTION

Industry is a huge source of water pollution, it produces pollutants that are
extremely harmful to people and the environment. Since industries are point
sources of pollution, they have been relatively easy to identify as pollution
sources, have been vigorously regulated , and have responded to mandates
that they can clean up their effluent. Industrial Water Pollution is the
admission of industrial waste which could be a multitoxic chemicals as well
as Untreated by-products manufacturing into water bodies affecting living
organisms and the whole environment. It has negative impacts on Health
and Diseases such as cancer, cholera, typhoid, anemia, dysentery and
legionaries (a very form of pneumonia from cooling tower) pollutants from
industrial sources include: • Asbestos - This pollutant is a serious health
hazard and carcinogenic.
• Lead - It is harmful to the health of many animals, including humans, as it
can inhibit the action of bodily enzymes.
• Mercury - It is also harmful to animal health as it can cause illness through
mercury poisoning.
• Nitratesand Phosphates–The increased use of fertilizers means that nitrates
and phosphates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers
and lakes.
• Oils – Oil does not dissolve in water, instead it forms a thick layer on the
water surface. It is also harmful for fish and marine birds.
• Petrochemicals – This is formed from gas or petrol and can be toxic to
marine life.

Causes of Industrial Water Pollution • Outdated manufacturing

technology. Since manufacturing technology costs a lot, most industries uses
old, rusty and outdated technologies. These are less efficient and produce a
greater amount of pollutants compared to modern technologies.
• Unplanned Industrial growth. Industrial growth boosts the economy of a
country, but without planning, it can lead to degradation of the environment.
• Lack of effective government control policies and measures. Without strict
policies, some industries abuses and disregards the laws in protecting the
environment.

Effects of Industrial Water Pollution On the Environment: • When

such polluted water, is thrown into the ocean or other water bodies without
any treatment, it leads to a number of a very serious problems, and Thermal
pollution is being one of them. And thermal pollution refers to an increase in
the ambient water temperature, that can have an adverse effect on sensitive
aquatic life. It will kill aquatic lives specially the sensitive one.
• Radioactive sludge from industries, wastes from power plants and nuclear
reactors can cause thermal pollution when released into water bodies. When
industrial run offs end up in water bodies, the nutrient content of water
increases, leading to eutrophication and algal blooms. Eutrophication is when
the environment becomes enriched with nutrients and it can cause growth of
microscopic algae or cyanobacteria in water or algal bloom.
• Increase in a murkiness of water. Excessive murkiness of water can also
block the gills of fish, making it difficult for them to take up dissolved oxygen
from the
surrounding water. Murkiness of water is a problem as it will block the
sunlight from reaching the bottom-dwelling plant that will them to
photosynthesize.
• Direct contamination of fresh water resources with toxic chemical
pollutant. Like sulfur and asbestos.
On Humans • High levels of carbon tetrachloride in drinking water can cause
liver problems.
• Benzene is suspected to be associated with diseases like anemia and low
blood platelets, and poses an increased risk of cancer.
• Toluene is a pollutant generated by the oil and petroleum industry, which
too can affect the liver, kidneys and the central nervous system. As well as
the chemical chlorobenzene found in insecticide and dyes.
o THERMAL POLLUTION • Amendments to the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act of 1972 mandated changes in how industry treats water. •
Thermal pollution occurs when an industry removes water from a source,
uses the water for cooling purposes, and then returns the heated water to its
source.

• Thermal pollution is the harmful release of heated liquid into a body of

water or heat released into the air as a waste product of a business.

• An example of thermal pollution is water used for cooling in a power plant

that runs into a nearby river and harms the river's ecosystem.

• The discharge of heated liquid or air into lakes, rivers, etc., as by an

industry or nuclear power plant, causing such a rise in the water temperature
as to affect the life cycles within the water and disrupt the ecological
balance.

Thermal pollution damages the water ecosystem and the habitat of water
animals like fish that reduce of the population. And also the plant species
and bacteria because of the changes of temperature in the water. So when
the dissolved oxygen getting too low, the fish and the other aquatic
organism cannot survive. This is the result of decreasing of fish population
and can affect the altered food web. Slowly suffocate the fish because of this
kind of water pollution which is thermal pollution.

o MARINE OIL POLLUTION

• Marine Oil Pollution has many sources One source is accidents such as oil
drilling blowouts or oil tanker accidents. An oil spill is the release of a liquid
petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine
ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is
usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or
coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land. Oil spills may be due to
releases of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells,
as well as spills of refined petroleum products (such as gasoline, diesel) and
their by-products, heavier fuels used by large ships such as bunker fuel, or
the spill of any oily refuse or waste oil

o GROUND WATER POLLUTION

• Over 50% of the United States population depends on groundwater for
drinking water. Groundwater is also one of our most important sources of
water for irrigation. Unfortunately, groundwater is susceptible to pollutants. •
Groundwater contamination occurs when man-made products such as
gasoline, oil, road salts and chemicals get into the groundwater and cause it
to become unsafe and unfit for human use. Road salt, toxic substances from
mining sites, and used motor oil also may seep into groundwater.

Major sources of ground water contamination includes: 1. Agricultural

Products o Pestisides contribute to unsafe levels of organic contaminants in
ground water. Accidents spills or leaks of pestisides pollute ground water
sources with 10 to 20 additional pestisides. Other agricultural practices
contributing to ground water pollution include animal feeding operations,
fertilizers application and irrigation projects.
2. Underground storage tanks o In North America, A large number of
underground storage tanks containing gasoline and other hazardous
substances have leaked. So its better to always check the gasolines or
underground storage tanks because it is said that 4 liters or 1 gallon of
gasoline can contaminate the water supply of community of estimated of 50,
000 people.
3. Landfills o Landfills are the places that our garbage is taken to be buried.
Landfills are supposed to have a protective bottom layer to prevent
contaminants from getting into the water. However, if there is no layer or it
is cracked, contaminants from the landfill (car battery acid, paint, household
cleaners, etc.) can make their way down into the groundwater.
4. Septic System
o Onsite wastewater disposal systems used by homes, offices or other
buildings that are not connected to a city sewer system. Septic systems are
designed to slowly drain away human waste underground at a slow,
harmless rate. An improperly designed, located, constructed, or maintained
septic system can leak bacteria, viruses, household chemicals, and other
contaminants into the groundwater causing serious problems.

Water Use Planning Issues • In the past, waste were discharged into
waterways with little regard for the costs imposed on other users by the
resulting decrease in water quality. • Metropolitan areas must deal with a
variety of issues and maintain an extensive infrastructure to provide three
basic water service:

➢ Water supply for human and industrial needs ➢ Wastewater collection and
treatment ➢ Storm-water collection and management
Water for human and industrial use must be properly treated and purified. It
is then pumped through a series of pipes to consumers. After the water is
used, it flows through a network of sewers to a wastewater treatment plant,
where it is treated before it is released. Maintaining the infrastructure of
pipes, pumps and treatment plants is expensive. Metropolitan areas must
also deal with great volumes of excess water during storms. This water is
kwon as storm-water runoff. Because urban areas are paved and little
rainwater can be absorbed into ground, managing storm water is significant
problem. Cities often have severe local flooding because the water is
channelled along streets to storm sewers. If these sewers are overload or
blocked with debris, the water cannot escape and flooding occurs. The waste
water was then diverted directly into the receiving body of water without
being treated. Because of these new requirements , some cities have
created areas in which to store this excess water until it can be treated.

Water Diversion ➢ Water diversions consist of a system of structures and

measures that intercept clear surface water runoff upstream of a project site,
transport it around the work area, and discharge it downstream with minimal
water quality degradation for either the project construction operations or
the construction of the diversion. ➢ Water diversion is the physical process
of transferring water from one area to an other.
Cause: Environmental effects. "Large dams and river diversions have proven
to be primary destroyers of aquatic habitat, contributing substantially to the
destruction of fisheries, the extinction of species, and the overall loss of the
ecosystem services on which the human economy depends.

Waste Water Treatment • Because water must be cleaned before it is

released , most companies and municipalities in the developed world
maintain waterwaste treatment facilities.We consider wastewater treatment
as a water use because it is so interconnected with the other uses of water.
Much of the water used by homes, industries, and businesses must be
treated before it is released back to the environment.
There are three main stages of the wastewater treatment process,
aptly known as primary, secondary and tertiary water treatment
1. Primary Wastewater Treatment o During primary treatment, wastewater is
temporarily held in a settling tank where heavier solids sink to the bottom
while lighter solids float to the surface.

2. Secondary Wastewater Treatment o Secondary treatment of wastewater

works on a deeper level than primary and is designed to substantially
degrade the biological content of the waste through aerobic biological
processes. It is done in one of three ways:
a. Bio filtration - uses sand filters, contact filters or trickling filters to ensure
that any additional sediment is removed from the wastewater.
b. Aeration - is a lengthy process which increases oxygen saturation by
introducing air to wastewater. Typically, the aeration process can last for up
to 30 hours, but it is very effective.
c. Oxidation ponds - typically used in warmer climates, this method utilises
natural bodies of water such as lagoons, allowing wastewater to pass
through for a set period before being retained for two to three weeks.
Completing secondary wastewater treatment allows for safer release into the
local environment, reducing common biodegradable contaminants down to
safe levels.

3. Tertiary Wastewater Treatment o The aim of tertiary wastewater

treatment is to raise the quality of the water to domestic and industrial
standards, or to meet specific requirements around the safe discharge of
water. In the case of water treated by municipalities, tertiary treatment also
involves the removal of pathogens, which ensures that water is safe for
drinking purposes.

References :
https://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/info/water_cycle/hydrology.cgi?
fbclid=IwAR0mPbVV04hzh4J7JaY3GmeKDY2DxLAU05lEg6OM7UGEbi4zDKWawnHFYs
https://en.wikipedia.org/?
fbclid=IwAR3LT1yRlVIHFHvhENtJ78NyLMblsyRoLE5tSqxo7JWQFkNun ecwJZBQt-I
https://pmm.nasa.gov/education/water-cycle/hydrologiccycle?
fbclid=IwAR1qYUH7c_xbyXA0qVpQm5S6KVboVmNGU0GlceFbwvVjUgE99A8vStk-ou0
https://emb.gov.ph/?
fbclid=IwAR0mPbVV04hzh4J7JaY3GmeKDY2DxLAU05lEg6OM7UGEbi4zDKWawnHFYs
https://www.arviatechnology.com/what-are-the-three-stages-of-wastewater-treatment/
https://www.yourdictionary.com/thermal-pollution
https://www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/industrial-waste
https://thelastwell.org/6-different-types-of-water-pollution/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_spill

These are the questions that need to be accomplished – submitted through the platforms mentioned by
the end of March.

Review Questions

1.       Describe the hydrologic cycle.

2.       What are the similarities between domestic and industrial water use?  How are they
different from in-stream use?

3.       What are the types of wastes/ water pollution associated with agriculture?

4.       Describe primary, secondary and tertiary sewage treatments.