Post on 26-Dec-2015
Water Use and Management
• WHO – 1,000,000,000+ people lack access to fresh water
• 10,000,000+ people die annually from water-related diseases
Global Water Use
Residential Water Use
Water Treatment
• Performed to remove pathogens (disease-causing organisms) and toxins from water
• Water is treated to become potable – suitable for drinking
Drinking-Water Treatment
Industrial Water Use
Industrial Water Use
• Most water used in industry -used to cool power plants.– pump water from river or a
lake– carry water through cooling
tower– return water to river or lake.
• Returned water is warmer than the source, but is clean and can be reused.
Agricultural Water Use
Irrigation
• Provides crops with water from sources other than precipitation.
• Techniques:– Shallow ditches– Overhead sprinklers • Most water evaporates before reaching plant roots
Water Management Projects
• Designed for areas with inadequate surface water
• Provide water to dry areas.• Ex. SRP allows people to live and grow crops in
desert areas.– Provide water– Generate electric power
Water Diversion Projects
• Divide rivers into canals to supply water to arid regions.
• Ex. Colorado Watershed
Dams and Reservoirs
• Dam - structure built across a river to control a river’s flow.
• Reservoir - body of water that forms behind a dam.– Used for drinking water, irrigation, recreation, and
industry.
Dams and Reservoirs
• Hydroelectric dams use the power of flowing water to generate electrical energy.