Download Water Presentation - Dave Arnott

RESPECTING GOD’S GIFT
OF WATER:
CONSERVATION AND
POLLUTION ISSUES
Dave Arnott, St. Bruno’s Green Team Presentation
March 30th, 2014
TOPICS COVERED

Water Cycle

How water moves throughout the environment

Water Quantity and Conservation

Water Quality


Pollutants
Relationship of Water Quality and Quantity
WATER CYCLE
WATER QUANTITY AND
CONSERVATION

Christiana Peppard TED ED Series

Where Do We Get Our Fresh Water?
Where does our fresh water come from?
 How much fresh water is available for residential use?
 How much is used for industry and farming?

WATER QUANTITY AND
CONSERVATION

Residential Sanitary Water Use

showers, dishes, toilet, cooking and drinking, not lawn
watering
1990: 85 gallons per capita per day
 2013: 65 gallons per capita per day
 poor countries, 3- 5 gallons per family per day

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Local Issues

Village of Dousman Water Services Freezing
Frost depth 4-6 feet
 Recommend continuous water running to prevent freezing

WATER QUANTITY AND
CONSERVATION

National Issues
CA drought
 CA, NV, AZ
 Water re-use of NP water,
gray water,


Great Lakes Compact
Keep water in Great Lakes Basin
 Waukesha

Pump From Lake Michigan (Oak Creek)
 Return Water to Lake MI Through Force Main to
Underwood Creek
 First Test of Exception

WATER QUALITY

Sanitary Sewer and Storm Water

Major Statewide Contaminants
Phosphorous
 Chlorides


Others
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
 Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
 Ammonia Nitrogen

WATER QUALITY – TREATMENT
WATER QUALITY -CONTAMINANTS
WATER QUALITY - PHOSPHORUS




Naturally occurring nutrient
Common in fertilizers,
pesticides, detergents
Additive to animal feed
Present in human and animal
waste
PHOSPHORUS - HYPOXIA
Hypoxia Areas have increased from
10 in 1960 to Over 400 Today
WATER QUALITY
IMPACTS OF EXCESSIVE PHOSPHORUS

Harmful algal blooms

Rashes

Respiratory Issues

Neurotoxins (dog deaths)

Poor water clarity

Reduces recreation

Poor aesthetics

Dissolved oxygen depletion

Degraded biology

Lost tourism

Lower property values
WATER QUALITY - PHOSPHORUS

What can be done?
Use P-free lawn fertilizer
 Use P-free dishwasher detergent
 Farming

Don’t apply manure to frozen fields
 Limit P content in animal feed
 Type and amount of fertilizer
 Plant cover crops
 Tillage practices


Treatment facility changes – effluent levels 14 times
lower, $4-7 B in WI, cost will show up in rates
WATER QUALITY – OTHER
CONTAMINANTS

Chlorides
Water softeners - demand-based,
not timer based
 Keep water softeners tuned up
 Reduce degree of water softening
 Pour bag of salt into Bark River


Total Suspended Solids (TSS)



Bacteria


Construction Sites, control with use of wattles or silt fence
Rain gardens for reduction of impermeable areas
Milwaukee MSD, improve deep tunnels, wetland restoration
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

Rock River TMDL
WATER QUALITY

What can you do?







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Don’t drive a car with leaking oil.
Use biodegradable soap for car washing.
Inspect septic system, keep updated.
Pick up dog waste.
Reduce fertilizer waste.
Reduce insecticide and herbicide.
Don’t rake leaves or grass to street.
Monitor State Representatives.
Get involved in TMDL process.
RELATIONSHIP OF WATER QUALITY
AND WATER QUANTITY

Industrial chemical spill




January 9, 2014
West Virginia, Elk River
Affected 300,000 people
Fracking





Boom to oil and natural gas industry last 7 years
Drilling through groundwater to shale
Groundwater contamination with fracking fluid
Air pollution
Cause of minor earthquakes
RELATIONSHIP OF WATER QUALITY
AND WATER QUANTITY CONT’D

City of Waukesha
High radium levels, Wells are very deep (sandstone)
 Need to reduce Ra levels, mandate by EPA levels,
higher cancer risk
 Pump Lake MI water from Oak Creek to Waukesha
and return it to Underwood Creek and eventually to
Lake MI.
 Great Lakes Compact

QUESTIONS?
Thank you!