BIOM 121 1nd Edition Lecture 8 Outline of Last Lecture I Exam 1 Study Guide Outline of Current Lecture II Cities and Water Quality III Groundwater vs Surface Water IV Pollution and Runof Current Lecture Cities and Water Quality Water is the number one environmental concern in the US Point and Non point Pollution Point factories wastewater treatment facilities septic systems landfills and other sources that are clearly discharging pollutants into water sources Non point runof including sediment fertilizer chemicals and animal wastes from city streets farms fields construction sites mines and other sources that cant be traced to a specific site Groundwater and Surface Water Groundwater any water below the surface often in pores or cracks o Aquifer useful supplies of groundwater Surface water any water above the surface Most of the world s freshwater is groundwater US drinking water split about 50 50 between the two Local Groundwater Quality Generally very good quality Wellhead Protection Area an area around a public well where land uses must be compatible with the preservation of water quality These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute Septic Systems an uncontrolled point source problem Most surface water bodies in America do not meet standards Most sources are nonpoint and cities are related to many of the reasons Solutions for Non Point Pollution Reduce pollution deposition Control runof Reduce driving o Atmospheric deposition o Road deposition Reducing pollution deposition Animal waste control Controlling Runof Soil stabilization plant protection matting mulching timing clearing and grading revegetation stabilized entrance exit Detention retention basins are moderately efective at removing pollution Low Impact Development Urban watersheds have peaky hydrographs Causes of Peakiness Man made conveyances to channels e g gutters Impermeable rock and soil or man made surfaces Sparse vegetation and clearing No dams Steeper slopes Heavy fast rains A smaller drainage basin Frozen or saturated Problems with Peakiness Pollution flushing sediments nutrients organics etc Erosion Flooding Lower groundwater storage elevation Lower dry weather stream flows Scouring of river and riparian habitat Low impact development Objectives maximize infiltration by reducing and disconnecting impervious surface often by preserving pervious ones