Monday, February 9, 2009
Water Resources
Currently we are discussing water resources in class, water is all around us yet the water suitable for human use is limited. In this blog you will need to find how the united states utilizes water (outside the home) and discuss some of the conservation measures taken to assure that we do not deplete our water supply.
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Water is used in a variety of feilds, it can be used in many ways from cleaning to cuttign steel. By using higher pressure tools less water is needed to do tasks. As most businesses work to become "green" water protection and proper use has become a big deal.
Water is used in businesses and is a neccessary asset for almost any business. Water turbines such as the ones at Hoover Dam are a great exaple of how water is used out of the home. As Dylan stated water can be used from leaning to cutting steel, there are many other ways water is used in businesses, manufacturing, and different industries.
Some businesses use water to cool down turbines that are used in construction, like we learned in the handout from class. This does cause a problem because the water is heated and harms the fish and any other organisms in the water when it's released back into whatever source it's taken from. One way to combat this is to reuse water in a factory and not repeatedly take it from a lake or river.
Dylan you are correct. However the steel cutting buisness reuse the water. When they are cutting steel there is a hose connected the machine which sprays water on the cutting point to reduce sparks. This water is then drained back into the tank and ready to be used again. Luckily however there are great filters within the tank that would allow the tank water to be used over and over again for about two months.
Water is used in many ways such as to generate power, to cool electricity-generating equipment, for irrigation, aquaculture, and for many industrial processes and commercial uses.
Some conservation measures taken to assure that we do not deplete our water supply are landscape irrigation services that are more efficient such as the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program which offers $58.4 million in financial assistance for promoting ground and surface water conservation and water quality improvement. Also people can reuse greywater, collect rainwater and install low-flow appliances. These will help us make sure we do not deplete our water supply.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/
http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/water/overview.php
There are two main types of water users: system users(such as residential users, farmers, companies) and system operators (privately owned suppliers/ etc). There are also two main ways to conserve water:
1.Engineering practices: practices based on modifications in plumbing, fixtures, or water supply operating procedures (low flush toilets, low flow shower-heads, gray water use, etc.)
2.Behavioral practices: practices based on changing water use habits (turning the water off when you brush your teeth or shave, taking short showers, not letting the water run while washing the dishes, etc)
http://www.epa.gov/nps/chap3.html
Water is used in mining. The water usage includes quarrying, milling (which is crushing, screening, washing, and floating mined materials), and re-injecting extracted water for oil recovery. Some of the water used in 2000 was salt water in these operations but most of the water used was fresh water. Salt water would work just as well for quarrying and milling and would cut down on the amount of freshwater used by over 50%
http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2004/circ1268/htdocs/text-mi.html
Reading sai's explanation of engineering practices for conserving water, I realized how much water is lost in every home. Most people that own homes don't pay the extra money to get a more expensive toilet or a more environmetal friendly shower head. Many people in my own neighborhood water their lawns in the middle of the day during the summer. This a countless loss of water can be saved by using behaviorial practices jsut as sai mentioned.
what josh said is true, i also notice people watering lawns in the afternoon,i dont realize why people dont understand that the waters going to evaporate anyway. But josh, replacing the shower heads and your toilets with more environmentally friendly ones actually saves you ALOT more money within the first year then it would cost you to spend it on water.
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