8: Water Availability and Use
- Page ID
- 222281
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Learning Outcomes
- Understand how the water cycle operates
- Know the causes and effects of depletion in different water reservoirs
- Understand how we can work toward solving the water supply crisis
- Understand the major kinds of water pollutants and how they degrade water quality
- Understand how we can work toward solving the crisis involving water pollution
- 8.1: Water Cycle and Fresh Water Supply
- This page highlights the critical importance of water, air, and food as natural resources, emphasizing water as essential for life and the environment. It covers the uneven availability of freshwater sources, affected by climate variations and human activities, leading to shortages for billions. The water cycle's role in managing resources is discussed, alongside the significance of surface water and groundwater, particularly in arid regions.
- 8.2: Water Supply Problems and Solutions
- This page addresses water supply issues related to resource depletion, focusing on groundwater mining and its effects, such as declining water tables, saltwater intrusion, and land subsidence. It highlights a global water crisis fueled by climate change and overconsumption, predicting a rise in water-stressed populations.
- 8.3: Water Pollution
- This page outlines the global water crisis, emphasizing the severe impact of water pollution on health, particularly in developing regions where 880 million lack safe drinking water. It details various pollution types, such as cultural eutrophication, pathogens, oil spills, and toxic chemicals like arsenic and mercury, along with their sources and health effects.
- 8.4: Water Treatment
- This page addresses the global water pollution crisis, emphasizing the health risks posed by pathogenic microorganisms in untreated sewage. It outlines the importance of multi-step sewage treatment processes and compares separate and combined sewer systems. The necessity of sewage treatment facilities in developing countries is highlighted, along with critiques of bottled water as an unsustainable solution.
- 8.5: Case Study - The Aral Sea - Going, Going, Gone
- This page discusses the Aral Sea's significant shrinkage due to Soviet-era irrigation projects, which diverted its inflow rivers. Once the fourth largest lake, it now occupies only about 10% of its original size, resulting in high salinity, collapsed fisheries, and health issues from dust storms. Restoration attempts have seen limited success, particularly in the southern region, highlighting the Aral Sea as a major human-caused environmental disaster.
- 8.6: Chapter Summary
- This page discusses global precipitation patterns, highlighting uneven distribution that impacts freshwater availability. It outlines the water crisis stemming from a lack of access to clean water, prompting a reevaluation of traditional solutions like dams. Additionally, it addresses the serious health risks of water pollution, particularly from pathogens in developing countries, and emphasizes effective sewage treatment as a key strategy for improving water quality.
Thumbnail image - Great Lakes from Space. The Great Lakes hold 21% of the world’s surface fresh water. Lakes are an important surface water resource.