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

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 - HYPOXIAHypoxia Areas have increased from

10 in 1960 to Over 400 Today

WATER QUALITYIMPACTS 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) Construction Sites, control with use of wattles or silt fence Rain gardens for reduction of impermeable areas

Bacteria Milwaukee MSD, improve deep tunnels, wetland restoration

Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) Rock River TMDL

WATER QUALITY What can you do?

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!