Student Notes - Fresh Water Management

Student notes - Fresh Water Management (textbook work)
Learning Objective: What you need to know and do to be successful.

Complete the following work by answering within the space between the questions.
Distribution of water on Earth (p90)
(a) What is the % of saline water (oceans) and the % freshwater on Earth and how much of the % of
freshwater is readily available for people to use?
(b) Fresh water is not evenly distributed on Earth. Name the six countries that have half of the
available fresh water.
(c) Why is most of the 1% of freshwater available for people to use, not actually suitable for drinking?
Complete the table below
Key terms Definitions

Potable
Sanitation
The water cycle (p91)

The total amount of fresh water on earth is fixed, it merely exists in different inter-changeable
forms (states) and is found in many different places. The water cycle illustrates how the different
forms of water exists and can inter-change.
Key terms - Water cycle Definitions

Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Transpiration
Surface run-off
Interception
Infiltration
Ground water flow
Through flow
Learn the key terms and study the water cycle diagram
Why humans need water - water usage (p92)
Human need for water Examples of use

Domestic
Industrial
Agricultural
The main sources of fresh water for human use – water supply (p92 – 93)
Key terms – water supply Definitions

Surface water
Ground water
Aquifer
Artesian aquifer
Desalination Removal of salt from sea water to make it potable
Desalination by distillation
Desalination by reverse
osmosis
Reservoir
Well
Artesian well
Water tower
Availability of safe drinking water around the world – water inequalities in availability and quality (p94)
Water availability is affected by rainfall, population size and economic factors.
Key terms – water availability Definition

Physical water scarcity
Economic water scarcity
Even if water is available, it may not be safe to drink. There are many ways of ensuring that water is
potable but all of them involve two main principles:
Key terms – to ensure potable water Definition

Sanitation systems
Water-treatment processes
Multipurpose dam projects
Use all the bullet points on p95 – 96 to complete the table below by writing each bullet point into the
correct box.
Advantages Disadvantages
Environmental
Economic
Social
(a) List the factors that are important when choosing a site to build a dam
(b) Explain how it could be argued that a multipurpose dam project is unsustainable.
(c) Case Study: Study the impact of a named multipurpose dam scheme
The Ramganga Dam, Kalagarh, Uttarakhand, India (p97)
The Ramganga Dam Advantages (beneficial) Disadvantages (not beneficial)

Local people (social, Infrastructure improvement - Change to local way of life and culture
economic) roads, services Construction jobs were temporary
Economic – jobs, opportunities
India (nationally)
Environmental
Sources, impact and management of fresh water pollution – (p100 – 106)

Domestic waste
1. Sewage treatment
(a) What is BOD and why is its reduction important before sewage is released into bodies of
water?
(b) What is effluent?

Complete the following table using p101. Make brief notes/descriptions.
The stages in a sewage Process

treatment plant
1. Sewage outfall Sewer pipes bring waste water from homes
2. Screening tank
3. First settling tank
4. Oxidation pond
5. Second settling tank
6. Effluent discharge
7. Sludge digester
8. Treated sludge
2. Improved sanitation – separating human excreta (faeces and urine) from human contact
A wet toilet using water to remove waste - Flush or pour toilet connected to a sewage system
removing the waste by pipes or septic system connected to an underground settling tank.
A dry toilet using a pit latrine covered by a platform with a seat over a hole or a composting
toilet in which vegetable waste and plant material is added to the human waste top make
compost.
3. Water treatment
Potable water is water fit for human domestic use in drinking, washing and cooking.
Coagulation treatment and sedimentation - makes larger particles in the water stick
together and settle to the bottom of the container/tank
Filtration process - the water is then through sand to remove fine particles
Disinfection – the water is disinfected using chlorine (chlorination method) to kill any
disease-causing organisms (pathogens) such as bacteria
Storage and distribution
Industrial Processes
A wide range of chemicals are used in in industry and many are solvents which when discharged
into rivers and likes cause harm to humans and the environment. Gases from industrial processes
dissolve in atmospheric water forming acid rain.
Complete the following table.
Key terms Definition

Biomagnification
Bioaccumulation
Dieback
Leaching
1. Accumulation of toxic (poisonous) compounds

Most chemicals enter the environment in small amounts. However, due to
biomagnification up the food chain, substances such as heavy metals (mercury,
cadmium and lead) and some pesticides may build up to high levels where they become
toxic to living organisms by interfering with cellular processes causing illness and death.
2. Acid Rain (p103)

Rain usually has a pH of between 5 and 6 so is always slightly acidic. Acid rain is between
a pH of 4 – 2 (like vinegar and lemon juice) which can kill fish and affect fish
reproduction.
(a) Describe how acid rain is formed both naturally and human-made (use p103 and
Figure 4.13 on p104)
(b) How does the acid rain produced in one country cause problems in another?
(c) Describe the impact (effect) of acid rain on aquatic organisms in rivers and lakes
(mention fish, leaching of heavy metals causing problems for fish gills and reduced
algal growth)
(d) List the ways to reduce acid rain
3. Agriculture
Modern agriculture uses many water-soluble chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides
and fertilisers
Complete the following table.
Key terms Definitions

Algae
Algal bloom
Organic
Eutrophication
(a) Use Figure 4.14 to list the sources of excess organic matter and minerals that enter
water ways thereby causing water pollution.
(b) Copy Figure 4.15 A flow chart showing how Eutrophication occurs
Agrochemicals - Pesticides cause illness in humans if ingested. Insecticides kill the target
pest insect and may also kill non-target species which may include the natural enemies of
the intended pest insect.
Pollution control and legislation
Government legislation requiring industries to monitor the pollution they cause and keep it within
set levels. Fines and prosecution for exceeding limits may be imposed or companies can be forced
to close-down their operation. Incentives such as grants, and tax relief are also used to encourage
companies to take part on the pollution reducing strategies or as a reward for achieving a reduction
in pollution.
Case Study: Study the causes, impacts and management of pollution in a named body of water
The bi-national Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) between Canada and the USA in
response to eutrophication issues in the Great Lakes which set phosphorus limits at 11,000 metric
tonnes per year (1 mg dm-3) entering the lakes.
Research the named case study and make notes to fill in the table below.
Case Study Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (Canada/USA)
Causes
Impacts
Management of
pollution
Water-related diseases – Causes and management of Cholera and malaria (p96 – 100)
Bacteria may enter sources of drinking water from sewage if sanitation is poor. If these bacteria are
pathogens (disease causing), and the water in which they live is drunk untreated, diseases can be spread.
Cholera - complete the following table.
Cholera (bacterium Vibrio cholerae) A water-borne disease

Occurrence in 2015
How spread
How prevented Good sanitation – sewage and water treatment processes in place.
Good hygiene and cooking of food.
Boiling and chlorination of contaminated water.
Symptoms
Consequences
Treatment
Malaria
(a) Define the key terms: (use p98 and the internet)
Pathogen –
Vector –
Insecticide -
Parasite -
Complete the following table (information from p98 and the bullet points)
Malaria. A water-bred disease.

Occurrence
Caused by?
Transmitted by?
Symptoms
Consequences
Individual control and 
prevention measures
so as not to be bitten
by mosquitoes
Government strategies 
focused on controlling
the vector (mosquito)
(b) Use Fig 4.7 on p99 to describe the Life cycle of the malaria parasite
Write full sentences.
Today Malaria is found throughout the world around the equator - between the Tropic of Cancer and the
Tropic of Capricorn - from Mexico, Central America and the northern countries of South America (Brazil,
Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Venezuela), Africa (except for the northern Sahara Region and South Africa),
the Middle East and Asia.
WHO now encourages a programme of eradication (elimination) of malaria from all countries as it was
from western Europe and the USA at the turn of the 20th century. Current treatments and prevention have
led to a 25% decline in the incidence in malaria and a 42% decline in deaths from malaria. However, this
will not result in the elimination of malaria as both the mosquito vector and the parasite are evolving
resistance to insecticides and medical drugs respectively.
More attention needs to be given to identifying and treating people infected by the disease but have no
symptoms to control the spread of malaria within a population.

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Student notes - Fresh Water Management (textbook work)

Learning Objective: What you need to know and do to be successful.

Complete the table below

Key terms Definitions

The water cycle (p91)

Complete the table below

Key terms - Water cycle Definitions

Human need for water Examples of use

Key terms – water supply Definitions

Key terms – water availability Definition

Key terms – to ensure potable water Definition

The Ramganga Dam, Kalagarh, Uttarakhand, India (p97)

The Ramganga Dam Advantages (beneficial) Disadvantages (not beneficial)

Sources, impact and management of fresh water pollution – (p100 – 106)

(b) What is effluent?

The stages in a sewage Process

Key terms Definition

1. Accumulation of toxic (poisonous) compounds

2. Acid Rain (p103)

(d) List the ways to reduce acid rain

Key terms Definitions

Case Study Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (Canada/USA)

Cholera - complete the following table.

Cholera (bacterium Vibrio cholerae) A water-borne disease

Malaria. A water-bred disease.

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