Storage, Use, Pollution, & Clean-Up

By Roseanne Williby

Purpose:

An introduction to the storage, uses, pollution, and cleanup of water. (Suggested grade level: 6-10.)

Materials:

A set of seven posters on water-resource education developed through the Water Resources Education Initiative are needed.  Copies of the posters in the series can be obtained at no cost from the U.S. Geological Survey.  When writing specify poster title(s) and grade level(s) desired.

U.S. Geological Survey  
Branch of Informational Services  
Box 25286  
Denver Federal Center  
Denver, CO   80225  
Telephone: 1-800-435-7627

Procedure:

Students will be divided into seven groups.  Each group will be given one of the seven posters.  Each group will also be given a “Guided Research Worksheet” specific to their poster.  Each group will use the poster and the “Guided Research Worksheet” in preparation for a short presentation they will be giving to the class on their poster’s theme.

The back upper left portion of each poster will provide students with some of the needed information.

Definitions for vocabulary can be found on the back.  The poster will also serve as one of the visual aids for the presentation. 

Suggested class time:

Two days to prepare and one day to present to the class.

Each student will be given a  “Wrap-up Worksheet” to complete when viewing the presentations.  This worksheet will direct the students to draw conclusions on each of the themes and recognize how they are uniquely tied together.

Worksheet # 1: Water Uses

Poster Title:  Water:  The Resource That Gets Used & Used & Used for Everything

Use the picture and information on the back to obtain the following. Answer the questions and synthesize  this information into a presentation format.

  1. From the picture identify 12 water uses which are found in bold red letters.
  2. Of these 12 water uses, which one(s) do not withdraw their water from a surface water source?
  3. Could an aquifer be a water source to a well or spring?
  4. Using the blue arrows, what is the path the water will take for domestic use?
  5. Using the blue arrows, what is the path the water will take for thermo-electric power and industrial uses?
  6. What location in our state would mimic the water usage of the thermo-electric power plant?
  7. At what sites is water being withdrawn from the water system?
  8. At what sites is water being returned to the water system?
  9. From what 2 types of natural water storage resources is water withdrawn?
  10. What is the difference between an instream and offstream use?
  11. Give two examples of instream use.
  12. Give two examples of offstream use.
  13. According to the pie graphs on the back, which water user consumed the most water in the United States for 1990?
  14. According to the bar graph on the back, which state withdrew the most freshwater for 1990?
  15. Give two possible explanations for why this state has the highest comparable amount of freshwater withdrawn. 

Create a Mini-Model

Create a model of the subsurface and surface from the poster using the following materials.

  • 1 -  600 or 1000 ml glass beaker (or other transparent container of similar size)
  • 2- cups potting soil
  • 1- cup fine sand
  • 2- cups aquarium size gravel
  • 500 ml colored water (color with one drop of food coloring)
  • 1 straw

Instructions

  1. Layer the materials in the beaker in the following order: rock, sand, and soil.
    2. Gently shake the rocks so they settle and are packed densely together.
    3. Insert the straw along one side of the container and penetrate the rock layer but not touching the bottom of the container.
    4. Gently pour the water through the layers.  Stop pouring as the rock layer becomes saturated.  Look for water in the straw.
    5. Carefully pat the soil on the top, using only enough to completely cover the sand and rock layers with a thin soil layer.
    6. Experiment with the possibility of including a small stream on the surface.
    7. Optional - Use micro-size toys as buildings and plants.

Questions

  1. Look for a correlation between the model and the poster. In what layer is the aquifer?
  2. What does the straw represent?
  3. What causes the water to enter the straw?
  4. Identify one other process you have learned from this model.

Worksheet # 2: Wastewater

Poster Title:  How Do We Treat Our Wastewater?

Use the poster and information o the back to obtain the following.  Answer the questions and synthesize  this information into a presentation format.

  1. What do the drawings on the left-hand side of the poster represent?  
  2. What do the drawings on the right-hand side of the poster represent?  
  3. In the city where does the used water go?
  4. What are four of the processes that wastewater undergoes before it is reused or returned to the environment?
  5. Before the water is returned to the stream, what chemical is used to disinfect the water?
  6. What happens to the wastewater solids?
  7. What are  several processes used by small towns and rural areas to treat wastewater
  8. What happens to waste and wastewater in a septic tank?
  9. What consumes most of the organic matter in the wastewater of a trickling filter?  
  10. Where is a sand filter used?  How does it work?
  11. In the activated sludge process, what happens in the sedimentation tank?
  12. How can a wetland improve water quality?
  13. How does composting help to decompose biosolids?
  14. How does a lagoon remove organic matter and nutrients from the wastewater?
  15. In a leach field, what serves as the filter for the wastewater?
  16. What purifies the wastewater in a leach field?
  17. Where are the wastewater treatment facilities in our community?

Activity: Auditing Your Water Use

Purpose

To identify the ways water is used and to identify ways water can be conserved

Procedure

  1. Every student in this group will complete to hand-in the “Auditing Water Use” activity worksheet for one day (this worksheet is copied from the back of the poster).  The final calculation will be made in liters per day.
  2. The results from all students in the group will be averaged for a Total Daily Water Use in liters per day. Place the average here.
  3. Based upon your own water usage, where is water used least efficiently?
  4. Based upon your own water usage, where is water used most efficiently?

Worksheet # 3: Watersheds

Poster Title:  Watersheds :  Where We Live

Use the picture and information on the back to obtain the following.  Answer the questions and work this information into a presentation format.

  1. What is a watershed?
  2. What activities and events affect the quality and quantity of water flowing from a watershed?
  3. In terms of a watershed, what causes a flood to occur?
  4. For an area with a 100-year recurrence interval for a flood, what percent chance is there that the flood could occur any year?
  5. How is the severity of a flood measured?
  6. What is the location and nature of a flood plain?
  7. What are the three large watersheds on the poster?
  8. How is a watershed determined?
  9. If the vegetation and soils of a watershed are changed, what attributes of the watershed are affected?
  10. What might provide the greatest volume of runoff into a watershed, parking lots or forests? Why?
  11. What type of land is found in an Undeveloped Watershed?
  12. How do scientists use these Undeveloped Watersheds for study?
  13. What is one method of preventing loss of property from floods in a Planned Watershed?
  14. What affects water quality in an Unplanned Watershed?

Create a Mini-Model of a Watershed

(Modified from the activity on the back of the poster)

Introduction:

Larger watersheds like the Missouri or Mississippi River contains many smaller watersheds with land areas that drain into smaller rivers, creeks, and lakes.  Small changes can cause large affects to the watershed downstream.

Materials:

  • Plastic sheet slightly larger than a 9.5” x 13” pan
  • 2 sheets of newspaper
  • waterproof marker
  • spray bottle filled with colored water
  • book.

Procedure:

Create a model of large and small watersheds with the materials provided.  All the watersheds should drain into a lake at the lower end of the container.

  1. Lay the plastic sheet representing the earth’s surface across the top of the pan.
  2. Crumple the pieces of newspaper and place in the pan under the plastic to create a mountain and valley topography.
  3. Place a small book underneath the pan at the mountain end so the water pools to form a small lake at the opposite end.
  4. Prediction: With the markers draw on the plastic sheet where you think the streams and main rivers will flow.
  5. Spray the water from the bottles and observe how the water flows from the higher to lower elevations and how the watersheds are connected.
  6. Check the accuracy of your predictions.  Attempt to explain where any errors occurred.
  7. Count the number of smaller watersheds  

Conclusions

  1. What may have caused any errors in the prediction of  the locations of your watersheds?
  2. How many smaller watershed did you count?
  3. Explain how the individual drops of water lead to the formation of a small lake at the end of the pan.  (Hint:  consider elevation, topography, soil climate etc)
  4. What determines the size of streams?

Worksheet # 4: Groundwater

Poster Title:  Ground Water the Hidden Resource

Use the picture and information on the back to obtain the following.  Answer the questions and work this information into a presentation format.

  1. What are the types of saturated zones underneath the surface where ground water will be found?
  2. When is ground water referred to as an aquifer? 
  3. In what states is the High Plains Aquifer found?
  4. List the possible destinations of the precipitation falling on the right side of the poster.
  5. What are the recharge sources for the aquifer?
  6. The arrows represent the movement of water from the recharge sources to the discharge area.  Identify one of these pathways from recharge source to discharge area.
  7. In the large circle on the right-hand side of the poster recharge is occurring from precipitation.  Identify the specific pathway of the way in this enlargement.
  8. What are ways in which ground water can be discharged?
  9. What is meant when a rock is described as permeable?
  10. Among clay, gravel, and sand, which is the least and the most permeable?
    Least___________________________   most ______________________________
  11. In terms of the depth of a well, is a well dug to reach the level of the water table or into the aquifer?
  12. According to the graph on the back, what is the greatest user of ground water in the United States?
  13. How are ground water and surface water related?
  14. How would the construction of a dam on the river affect the ground water?  

Research

Research through periodicals or the internet our state’s groundwater resource in terms of location, capacity, discharge( how much is used and by whom), and  recharge.

Summarize the highlights of this research into a two-page report.  Incorporate this information into your class presentation.  

Worksheet # 5: Wetlands

Poster Title:   Wetlands: Water, Wildlife, Plants, and People

Use the picture and information on the back to obtain the following.  Answer the questions and work this information into a presentation format.

  1. Generally, where are wetlands found?
  2. Estuarine wetlands are those wetlands affected by tide.  What two types are shown?  
  3. What are the four inland wetlands on the poster?
  4. What are the other three types of wetlands not yet named in these questions?
  5. What are the two sources of water for wetlands?
  6. What are four ways in which wetlands can be protected?
  7. What kinds of plants grow in a salt marsh?
  8. Where are mangrove swamps found in the United States?
  9. What three types of wetlands will have freshwater?
  10. Which type of wetland is indigenous to the desert southwest?
  11. Emergent plants are found in salt marshes.  How deep are the water levels where these plants flourish?
  12. What percent of salt is contained in saltwater?
  13. What percent of salt is contained in freshwater?
  14. In a deepwater habitat, what is the principle medium within which the organisms live, air or water?   

Research

Research through periodicals or the internet our state’s wetlands and deepwater habitats.
Identify location, type, animal life, plant life, topography, and history.

Summarize the highlights of this research into a two-page report.  Incorporate this information into your class presentation.  

Worksheet # 6: Water Quality

Poster Title:  Water Quality …Potential Sources of  Pollution

Use the picture and information on the back to obtain the following.  Answer the question and incorporate this information into a presentation format.

  1. What is one of the most important issues concerning the quality of water?  
  2. How can water that is not drinkable still be considered to be of good quality?
  3. How can the quality of surface water affect the quality of ground water in some areas?
  4. What are three ways in which the purity of the water can be degraded?
  5. When is water polluted?
  6. What are the two very different sources that water pollution originates?
  7. What can contribute to a point-source for pollution?
  8. What can contribute to a non-point source for pollution?
  9. List the non-point sources on the poster shown in red.  
  10. List the point sources on the poster shown in yellow.
  11. Why does the river in the poster receive large amounts of pollution?
  12. Describe what is happening to the aquifer on the left and right side of the bottom of the poster:
    Left side bottom
    Right side bottom
  13. How can construction or logging create nonpoint sources of pollution?
  14. What can be done to reduce the potential for pollution from landfills?  
  15. What must be done to pollutants from parking lots and streets to prevent this nonpoint pollutant from discharging in to surface waters?

Activity—Measuring Substances in Water

(adapted from the poster activity)

Introduction

We may read of water testing in a local newspaper and find units of pollutants measured in parts per million or parts per trillion.  This activity is designed to help gain an understanding of these small concentrations.

Materials

  •  Chem tray or 6 small, clear, plastic cups placed on a white paper
  •  1 small beaker filled ¾ full of water for dilution
  •  1 bottle of food coloring- usually a 10% solution ( this is equivalent to a 10 ml solution composed of 1 ml of dye dissolved in 9 ml of water to make a total of 10 ml of 10% solution)
  •   1 eye dropper

Procedure

  1. Using the eye dropper transfer one drop of food coloring to the first well in the chem tray and add 9 drops of water.  Since the food coloring was a 10% solution, now the parts of red dye to the water is 10 x 10 or 1 part in 100.  Stir gently. Carefully describe the color
  2. Transfer one drop of this solution from the first well to the second well and add 9 drops of water to the solution.  Stir gently.  Since the concentration has been changed by a factor of ten, the new concentration is one-tenth of 1 part per 100 or 10 x 100, or 1 part in 1,000.   Carefully describe the color
  3. Once again transfer one drop of the solution from the second well to the third well and add 9 drops of water to the solution.  Stir gently.  The concentration has again been changed by a factor of ten.  The new concentration is 10 x 1000 or 1 part in 10,000. Carefully describe the color
  4. Continue to dilute twice more as before in a fourth and fifth well. In the fourth well the concentration is 10 x10,000 or 1 part in 100,000.  The color is ________________.
  5. In the fifth well the concentration is 10 x 100,000 or 1 part in 1,000,000.  The color is _______________________.  So the final solution is one part per million.

Conclusion

  1. Which well is totally absent of any color?
  2. What is the concentration of food coloring in this well from answer #1?
  3. How do you know there is still food coloring in the well?
  4. What does this experiment tell you about the presence of pollutants in water?  

Worksheet # 7: Hazardous Waste

Poster Title:  Hazardous Waste:  Cleanup and Prevention

Use the picture and information on the back to obtain the following.  Answer the questions and incorporate this information into a presentation format.

  1. Provide several examples of how chemicals used in the home that can contribute to producing hazardous waste.
  2. What are the characteristics of a corrosive substance?
  3. What are the characteristics of an ignitable substance?
  4. What are some of the illnesses that can be produced by a toxic substance?
  5. What are the three ideal outcomes for hazardous waste?
  6. What types of accidents can release hazardous wastes into the environment?
  7. What are the hazardous waste sites and cleanup methods labeled in red on the poster?
  8. In the lower right-hand corner of the poster is a landfill in which leaching is depicted.
    Based upon the picture describe what is taking place and how it is affected the ground water?
  9. What is present in the storage lagoon that is preventing leaching? 
  10. List the cleanup activities labeled in black that are shown on the poster.
  11. What water source is recharging the aquifer in the picture.  
  12. What will happen to wastes that are not water soluble?
  13. What are the four steps in the cleaning up of hazardous waste?
  14. What is done when there are leaking barrels of hazardous waste?
  15. How can the movement of hazardous waste in the ground water be monitored?  

Research

Background

A material that can no longer be of use and can have harmful effects on our health of the health of animals and plants is a hazardous waste.  Hazardous wastes are produced in large amounts through manufacturing processes and in lesser amounts by hospitals and households.

Procedure

Contact county and city government recycling centers and waste disposal centers.  Also contact private firms that dispose of solid and medical wastes. If a nuclear power plant is nearby, contact them and ask them about their waste disposal methods.  Search for the location of hazardous waste in the community and the site of its disposal (an area telephone book will provide a great deal of this information).

Consider the following questions for your research:

  1. Find out what is disposed, where it is disposed, and how.
  2. Ask what recycling centers will accept.
  3. Ask how the wastes are transported.
  4. What precautions are taken by those handling hazardous wastes to prevent exposure?
  5. What precautions are taken to prevent hazardous wastes from being exposed to the community.
  6. Find out what companies are doing to prevent hazardous waste problems.

Conclusion

Obtain an area map and plot the following:

  • Your school
  • Sources of hazardous wastes (gas stations, medical facilities, dry cleaners, medical laboratories, refineries, garden supply stores)
  • Waste disposal sites ( landfills, storage area, incinerators, recycling centers)

Finally, provide strategies for prevention of hazardous waste problems.

Final Worksheet: Wrap-Up

Answer the following while listening to the presentations from each of the seven poster themes.

Poster #1:  Water :  The Resource that Gets Used and Used and Used for Everything

  1. Give an example of an instream use of water.
  2. Give an example of an offstream use of water.
  3. Give an example of how the same gallon of water found in a nearby river might have several uses.
  4. One additional main point from the presentation.

Poster #2:  How Do We Treat Our Wastewater?

  1. What is one method used to treat wastewater in the city?
  2. How is wastewater treated in a rural area?
  3. How is a wetland related to improving water quality?  
  4. Give one additional main point from the presentation.  

Poster #3:  Watersheds:  Where We Live

  1. How is a watershed determined?
  2. Why is the location of flood plains important information for city planners?
  3. What can have an affect on the watershed?
  4. Give one additional main point from the presentation.

Poster #4:  Ground Water the Hidden Resource

  1. When is ground water referred to as an aquifer?
  2. What are examples of discharges to the aquifer?
  3. What are examples of recharges to the aquifer?
  4. Give one additional main point from the presentation.

Poster #5:  Wetlands:  Water, Wildlife, Plants, and People

  1. What are the water sources for a wetland?
  2. What affects an estuarine wetland? 
  3. What are examples of inland wetlands?
  4. Give one additional main point from the presentation.  

Poster #6:  Water Quality…Potential Sources of Pollution

  1. When is water polluted?
  2. What is a point source for pollution?
  3. What is a nonpoint source for pollution?
  4. Give one additional main point from the presentation.  

Poster #7:  Hazardous Waste:  Cleanup and Prevention

  1. What is an illness that can be produced by a toxic substance?
  2. What is an example of a hazardous waste cleanup method?
  3. What is leaching?
  4. Give one additional main point from the presentation.