Human Interception of Water

Lesson Objectives
To develop an understanding of human influences and
processes on the water cycle.

Success Criteria
Students will be able to:
 use key words to accurately label a diagram of an aquifer.
 To describe, using key words, the ways in which humans intercept and use the
natural water resource in the urban environment.
 To communicate their expanding understanding of humans’ influence on natural
water.
 WATER
As we have seen, water:
• A natural resource:
• Is finite,
• Cycled through the hydrologic cycle,
• has alternative routes from precipitation:
• Surface runoff,
• infiltration into the soil and groundwater
supply,
• Used by the vegetation (osmosis).

Why do humans intercept water?

How do humans intercept water and the effects?

What systems are used that involve water?

 Human interception
Human activities impacting the water cycle:
Damming rivers Hygiene

Recreation Sedimentation
Deforestation
Farming
Burning fossil fuels Pollution
Urbanisation
Climate change Human waste

Drinking Landscape changes

 GROUNDWATER What is groundwater?

• Where does groundwater occur in the hydrologic cycle?

Groundwater:
• located under the Earth’s surface.
• Many settlements rely on it, especially arid and semi-arid settlements.
• used for drinking water and agriculture.
• Is interconnected with surface water as water flow does not stop until the water pressure is
reduced or the bore is capped.
 URBAN WATER SUPPLY
The natural water cycle has been modified by people to ensure a constant water supply and the safe
disposal of wastewater.

Urban water supply cycle

An Urban Water Supply Cycle is available in OneNote.

What is the Water Supply system?
 uses dams to store water What do you know about the Wastewater system?
 treats water at water filtration plants  removes wastewater from homes, businesses and industry
 stores water in reservoirs through the wastewater system
 can include using desalination to provide a  treats wastewater at wastewater treatment plants or water
more secure water supply recycling plants
 provides water to our homes, schools and  returns treated wastewater to waterways or recycles it for
businesses through pipes and pumps. further use.
What is the Stormwater system?
 returns stormwater to local waterways
 removes some debris and rubbish
 re-uses stormwater for industry and Diagrams available in OneNote
irrigation.
Human Impact with the
Hydrologic cycle

Draw flowcharts to describe

identified processes.
ACTIVITY
In your groups:

“Catchments and water quality”

Read and create a summary of points on:

• Water pollution
• Catchment health
• Water quality issues
• Natural organic pollution
• Erosion
• Chemical contamination
• Acid sulphate soils
 SE QLD
WATER
• Lake Wivenhoe is one of the major
dams that Brisbane relies on for its
water supply.

• Brisbane’s water storage level was

57% in January 2023 and is
normally fed by catchments.
ACTIVITY
In your groups, access
Lower Brisbane Catchment and
complete Lower Brisbane Catchment
worksheet.
A catchment area is where all
runoff water moves to a low
position and moves through it. It is
often surrounded by hills or
mountains.
Take note of webpage for further use.
Catchment
• What is happening?

• What is the effect on:

• The land?
• the water cycle?
 AQUIFER

• An area where water fills the aquifer is called the saturated zone (or saturation zone).
• Top of this zone is called the water table.
• Water table may be located only a foot below the ground or well below ground.
 AQUIFERS
Aquifers are typically made up of gravel, sand, sandstone or fractured rock, like
limestone.

Two general types of aquifers: confined and unconfined.

Confined aquifers have a layer of impenetrable rock or clay above them, while

unconfined aquifers lie below a permeable layer of soil.

Water can move through these materials because they have large connected
spaces that make them permeable.

The speed at which groundwater flows depends on the size of the spaces in the
soil or rock and how well the spaces are connected.

Water can move through these materials because they have large connected
spaces that make them permeable.

The speed at which groundwater flows depends on the size of the spaces in the
soil or rock and how well the spaces are connected.
 Activity:
Draw an annotated visual representation of the Water Cycle
and an Aquifer.