Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BUEE - LEC. No. 2
BUEE - LEC. No. 2
Environmental Engineering
Lecture No. 2
Runoff
Aquifer Stream
Infiltration Water table
Lake
Infiltration
Unconfined aquifer
Confined aquifer
Less permeable material
such as clay Confirming permeable rock layer
Assoc. Prof. Dr.-Eng. Mosaad Khadr 3
Sustainable Water Use
• Not depleting aquifers
Water Quality is
• The condition of water for a purpose1
– Drinking
– Agriculture
– Etc.
• According to certain characteristics1
– Physical
– Chemical
– Biological
Maybe?
How to test
Physical Parameters
• Temperature
– Testing the temperature is always done in situ using
analogue or digital thermometer
• Odour
– Should be done in situ or within 5 mins. of sample
collection
• Taste
– Do this at your own risk
– Often done at treatment plants
How to test
Physical Parameters
• Flow Gauging:
– The river is sectioned off
and flow is measured at
each section using an
impeller. The readings for
each section are then
added together to
produce a reading for the
whole river section
How to test
Physical Parameters
Units
Parameter Unit
Temperature °C – Degrees Celsius
Total Suspended Solids Ppm – Parts per million
Turbidity NTU – Nephelometric Turbidity Units
Odour Subjective but useful description
Taste Subjective but useful description
Flow Gauging m3/s – Meters Cubed per Second
How to test
Chemical Parameters
• Nutrients: Tested for in a Spectrophotometer
– Nitrates
– Phosphates
• Samples of water are taken back to a lab (or mobile lab)
where specific volumes of the sample reacts with a
measured amount of reagent and the change between
the original samples light scattering capacity and the
regent mixed sample gives the concentration of nutrients
How to test
Chemical Parameters
Units
Parameter Unit
pH The pH Scale (no Unit)
Specific Conductance μS/cm – Microsiemens per Centimetre
Nitrates & Phosphates mg/l – Milligrams per litre
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) ppm – Parts per million
Most Chemical Constituents Mass per volume of water
• bio-indicators
– These are large insects and animals that live in the
water body, if they are present then the water
must be of a certain quality
NB: These are all indicators, they do not produce numbers but they show the
water has changed and can provide clues to the problems
Assoc. Prof. Dr.-Eng. Mosaad Khadr 21
Water Quality
• Bacterial life
1. A sample is taken
2. Kept cool and away from exterior contamination
3. Brought back to the lab ASAP
4. Sample is shaken to allow for minimum settling
5. Sample is added to agar plate (pour or scrape)
6. Plate is incubated for 24 to 48 hours
7. Count the colonies of bacteria
Urban Contribution
• Runoff contributions due to impervious
surfaces:
– Driving and Vehicle Maintenance
– Gardening
– Waste Disposal
– Hygiene (Poor or failed septic systems)
– Construction sites