Water_Quality_And_Sanitation

Water Quality And Sanitation Chemistry in Water Surface Water Quality Case Study Background Surface water is defined as run-off from rain and snow (precipitation) that flows on the earth’s surface in rivers and streams, and collects in lakes and reservoirs. Ground water collects in underground aquifers and springs after soaking into the ground and percolating through fissures. Overuse and contamination of both water sources is a major concern in the U.S. and around the world. Water quality can be compromised through overuse of the resource, resulting in changes in the ecosystems supported by these resources. Aquifers in the Western United States hold billions of gallons of water. These resources have been used in irrigation to bring millions of acres of otherwise unproductive farmland into production. As a result of these actions, major aquifers have been seriously depleted over the past thirty years. Since many aquifers are fed at a relatively slow rate, this water deficit may take hundreds of years to replace. In some geographic areas, the depletion of aquifers weakens surrounding rock structures that collapse and form sinkholes. Such consequences of the overuse of ground water are seldom observed, so much of the potential damage of this behavior go unnoticed. Links to resources on aquifers Artesian Aquifers, Kansas water, river, aquifers, sources, pollution, ecosystems, rivers, resources, overuse, links, flooding, been, watersheds, through, potential, much, ground, floods, delta, both, around, years, united, two, three, surface, streams, states, resulting, relatively, quality, provide, production, periodic, nutrients, nile