Water And Wastewater Is A Seemingly Abundant Resource 658371

Water And Wastewater Is A Seemingly Abundant Resource On The Planet B

Water and Waste Water is a seemingly abundant resource on the planet, but that perception would be incorrect. Although 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, less than 1% of that is potable — fresh water that people can drink and water crops with. The rest is unusable with about 97% of it in the oceans, which are too salty for these purposes. The average American uses about 100 gallons of water per day, depending on how you calculate water usage. The majority of that water is used in the bathroom for bathing and flushing toilets.

In addition to the water used in homes, water used by businesses, industries, and storm runoff needs to be treated before it is released back into the environment. While nature can clean small amounts of wastewater, the billions of gallons of wastewater generated daily requires treatment plants. Once water has been treated it can be effectively released back into the environment without harmful effects to ecosystems and human health. Review how wastewater is treated (the water that you send down the drain): USGS (n.d.) What is Wastewater, and Why Treat it?

In your posts this unit answer the following questions: Define wastewater and provide an example of where wastewater originates in your community?

Some common measures of water quality are contaminant nutrient levels (nitrates, nitrates, and phosphorus), temperature, turbidity, bacteria, pH, dissolved oxygen, and toxic substances. Choose a measure of water quality and provide an explanation of how this quality is measured for in water and what the allowable ranges are in the water supply. Review your local community, town, city, or state government’s website for information and policies on water conservation and wastewater treatment. You can also use the EPA site to learn about your local water. Post at least one interesting fact that you learned in your research.

Be sure to provide the resource for the information with your post. Lastly, describe the treatment process used to clean wastewater in order for it to be allowed back into the water cycle or reused. What is one way to now reuse non-potable wastewater? Be sure to review the Discussion Board Course Rubrics. For help with citations, refer to the APA Quick Reference Guide.

Use this reference when referring to your text: Trefil, J., & Hazen, R. M. (2016). The sciences: An integrated approach. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Paper For Above instruction

Water pollution and wastewater management are critical issues concerning global and local environmental health. Despite the apparent abundance of water on Earth, only a small fraction is suitable for human consumption or agricultural use. Wastewater, which originates from domestic, industrial, and storm runoff sources, requires treatment to ensure ecological and public health safety. This paper explores the definition of wastewater, measures of water quality, and the treatment process, focusing on practical applications within a community setting.

Wastewater is defined as used water that contains contaminants from human, industrial, or commercial activities. It includes sewage from households, effluents from factories, and runoff from urban areas (USGS, n.d.). In my community, wastewater primarily originates from residential homes through sinks, toilets, and washing machines, as well as from local industries and stormwater systems that collect rainwater mixed with urban pollutants. This wastewater, if discharged untreated, could lead to environmental degradation, contaminating water bodies and affecting aquatic life and public health.

One critical measure of water quality is turbidity, which refers to the cloudiness or haziness of water caused by suspended particles. Turbidity is measured using a turbidimeter that assesses the scattering of light through water samples. According to EPA standards, the allowable turbidity in public water systems is typically below 1 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) to ensure clarity and safety for consumption (EPA, 2020). Excessive turbidity can harbor pathogens and interfere with disinfection processes, making it a vital parameter in ensuring safe drinking water. The regulation of turbidity levels ensures that water is free from excessive sediments and microorganisms, safeguarding health.

According to my local government’s water department website, the community adheres to strict standards for water quality and implements comprehensive wastewater treatment strategies. The treatment process begins with primary treatment, where large solids are removed through screening and sedimentation. Following this, secondary treatment involves biological processes that degrade organic matter using microbial populations in aeration tanks. The final step often includes disinfection, typically via chlorination or ultraviolet light, to eliminate remaining pathogens before the treated water is released into water bodies or reused for non-potable purposes (Local Water Authority, 2022).

One interesting fact I learned from recent research is that advanced wastewater treatment technologies, such as membrane bioreactors, can produce water that meets standards for reuse in irrigation or industrial processes. This significantly reduces the demand for fresh water and helps conserve resources in arid regions (García-Contesse et al., 2017).

Reusing non-potable wastewater can be achieved through various methods, such as greywater recycling for landscape irrigation or industrial cooling. These practices not only reduce fresh water consumption but also decrease the load on wastewater treatment facilities and natural water bodies, promoting sustainability and resilience in water resource management.

References

• EPA. (2020). National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/national-primary-drinking-water-regulations
• García-Contesse, M., et al. (2017). Membrane bioreactor technology for wastewater reuse: A review. Chemical Engineering Journal, 327, 897-910.
• Local Water Authority. (2022). Water Quality Standards and Treatment Processes. Retrieved from [local government website]
• US Geological Survey. (n.d.). What is Wastewater, and Why Treat it? Retrieved from https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/what-wastewater-and-why-treat-it
• Trefil, J., & Hazen, R. M. (2016). The sciences: An integrated approach. John Wiley & Sons.