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Water Sources - Word
Water Sources - Word
Water Sources - Word
2. Lakes
― are surface water sources, with water levels changing depending on the
seasons
― lake management has to consider that the amount of water extracted is not
higher than water entering the lake
Advantages
Quickly and easily accessible water source
Fresh and clean water needs only little further treatment
Can be used to produce energy
Disadvantages
Often misused to discharge waste water and solid waste
Expensive intake constructions for large scale extraction necessary
3. Man-made Reservoirs
― sometimes called artificial lakes, are important water sources in many
countries around the world
― reservoirs are artificial, usually formed by constructing a dam across a river or
by diverting a part of the river flow and storing the water in a reservoir
Advantages
Quick and easy access to a water source
Increased protection of downstream river from flooding events
Increased potential for sustained agricultural irrigation
Production of energy (hydropower)
Disadvantages
Excessive human immigration into reservoir region, with associated social,
economic and health problems
Dams are expensive in construction and maintenance
4. Bank Filtration
― infiltration of surface water, mostly from a river system into a groundwater
system induced by water abstraction close to the surface water (e.g. a river bank )
― in the context of developing or newly-industrialized countries, bank filtration
may contribute to a more sustainable water cycle by recharging stressed
groundwater bodies with filtered surface water
Advantages
Improves water quality by removing particles (suspended solids), organic
pollutants, microorganisms, heavy metals and nitrogen
Low cost or cost effective natural treatment process that can also reduce costs for
subsequent treatment (e.g. chemical usage for disinfection or run-time of
activated carbon filters is extended)
Disadvantages
High organic pollution and higher mean temperatures (often found in
developing countries) both promote microbial growth and may lead to
oxygen depletion, thereby lowering the removal efficiency of BF systems
The presence of dissolved heavy metals (e.g. arsenic) may severely impair
BF quality
5. Desalination
― the chemical process of changing seawater into potable or fresh water is called
desalination
― thermal distillation and membrane processes are the two main approaches
used around the world to desalinize water
Advantages
Uses an abundant water source (seawater)
Allows drinking water production in arid, coastal regions
Disadvantages
High energy consumption or investment costs
Desalinated water has to be demineralized before it becomes drinking
water
B. Groundwater Sources
1. Springs
― when groundwater makes its way to the earth’s surface and emerges as small
water holes or wet spots
― although springs only need little operation and maintenance, monitoring of
water quality has to be conducted regularly
Advantages
High water quality
Fairly low construction costs if pumping is not required (gravity-based
distribution system)
Very little operation and maintenance
Disadvantage
Risk of contamination, especially for gravity springs
Unstable flow, mostly dependent on rainfall (only gravity springs)
Location of the spring may not be convenient or easily accessible
2. Dug Wells
― the traditional and still most common method of obtaining groundwater in
rural areas of the developing world is by means of hand-dug wells
― a hole is dug until the groundwater level is reached. Inflowing groundwater is
collected and extracted with the help of pumps or buckets
Advantages
High degree of involvement of the local community during the whole
process
Under supervision, no skilled workers are required
Simple equipment sufficient for both construction and maintenance
Disadvantages
Long construction phase
Dangerous excavation (collapse, gases)
Alteration of groundwater level can adversely affect the surrounding
environment
3. Manual Pumping
― hand pumps are water-lifting devices that can be operated manually to
withdraw water from surface water sources, groundwater sources and reservoirs,
or to pump water into distribution systems
― they are widely used in places where access to power sources is constrained,
where financial resources for investment are limited, and where domestic water
requirement is not excessive
Advantages
Significant increase in agricultural yields (improved water availability for
irrigation)
Adequate discharge capacity to meet the domestic water requirements of
families or small rural communities
Low-cost options for most human-powered pump types available
Disadvantages
Appropriate and very frequent maintenance is vital
Discharge capacity too low for large communities
4. Mechanized Pumping
― water-lifting devices used to withdraw water from surface water sources,
groundwater sources and reservoirs or to pump water into distribution systems
Advantages
Very high performance: discharge capacity sufficient to meet the water
requirements of large scale irrigation systems or urban drinking water
supplies
Less labor-intensive/less physical effort
Pumps provide fast access to drinking water
Disadvantages
Generally costly in acquisition (or hiring) and often expensive in operation
(fuel, electricity) and maintenance (spares, lubricants)
Fuels and fumes can pose health risks; can pollute groundwater and the
environment
Appropriate and very frequent maintenance is vital
5. Drilled Wells
― can serve as a low-cost water supply for single households, for small rural
communities and for more urban areas
― a hole is drilled into a groundwater body and infiltrating water is then
abstracted with the help of a manual or motorized pump.
Advantages
Quicker and cheaper to sink than hand-dug wells
2. Water Vendors
― water vendors are common in many parts of the world where water scarcity or
lack of infrastructure limit access to drinking water, particularly in urban areas
― water vending refers to many forms of selling water: It ranges from individuals
who carry water in containers on pushcarts, to water kiosks, where consumers
fetch the water by themselves
Advantages
Flexible payment system
Households can purchase small quantities on a daily basis
More choices for households
Disadvantages
Water prices are higher than those from household connections or public
utilities
Service is not guaranteed