Water: The Next Oil By: Jennifer Jermalowicz-Jones Water Resources - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Water: The Next Oil

By: Jennifer Jermalowicz-Jones Water Resources Director Restorative Lake Sciences

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Something to Ponder….

“Edward Mazria, a climate-conscious architect from New Mexico who has launched the 2030 Challenge describes its ultimate goal to get U.S. architects to design all buildings by 2030 to operate without fossil fuels. He notes that: “It’s the architects who hold the key to turning down the global thermostat”. From: World on the Edge, by Lester R. Brown (2011)

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Something Else to Ponder….

In other words…..we can make a difference at the local scale. Collective actions lead to improvements at a global scale!

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More on Freshwater Availability:

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Global Freshwater Availability:

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Modernized Drought Data:

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The Water Profile on Earth:

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Global Water Use:

Source: climate.org

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Household Water Use:

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Individual Septic Systems:

Source: EPA

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Ways to Conserve Water: Engineering & Behavioral

• Limit toilet flushes or better, use a compost toilet (did you know that each flush

uses 5-7 gallons of water!?)

• Reduce shower times
• Reduce burden on water softeners
• Limit use of garbage disposal or compost scraps
• Reduce “wait periods” for water temperature changes
• Reduce dishwater and washing machine use
• Shut off fawcet when brushing teeth
• Reduce need for lawn watering-go natural!
• Reduce need for ornamentals/garden watering:collect rain water
• Bottled water requires water to produce plastic bottles! Drink from tap
• Recycle “gray water” for future uses
• Alter bath and kitchen fittings to reduce gpm
• Keep yard vegetated since this reduces soil temperatures and moisture loss
• Use mulch or peat on garden areas to reduce watering needs

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Phytoremediation Defined:

• The use of

vegetation to contain, sequester, remove, or degrade

• rganic and

inorganic contaminants in soils, sediments, surface water, and groundwater

http://ideonexus.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/phytoremediation02.jpg

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Phytoremediation- Advantages vs. Disadvantages

• Sustainable, low-

maintenance

• Control erosion, runoff,

infiltration, dust emissions

• Earth-friendly (especially if

solar-powered)

• Minimal water discharge,

secondary waste

• Create volunteer &

education opportunity

• Applicable in remote

locations  Can attract nuisance wildlife  May require more land than traditional technologies  Incompatibilities with root depth and access to pollutants  Time-demanding  Susceptible to seasonal and diurnal variations

Advantages Disadvantages

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The Phytoremediation Process (in general)

http://www.mobot.org/jwcross/phytoremediation/graphics/Citizens_Guide4.gif

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Conclusions

• Plants are powerful vehicles in the reduction of

pollutants in soils, groundwater, surface water,

• r sediments
• Solution limitations are not well-known due to

recent onset of technology

• Solution(s) must be compatible with sites and

intended purpose given pollutant type and source

• A monitoring program is recommended to

measure efficacy over a long-term period

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Low Impact Development (LID)

• Reduces imperviousness (11% less

impervious area = 98% reduction in runoff volume)

• Reduces runoff quantity
• Improves runoff quality
• Reduces erosion and soil loss
• Creates biodiversity

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NPS Categories (EPA)

• Acid Mine Drainage
• Agriculture
• Forestry
• Hydromodification/Habitat Alteration
• Marinas/Boating
• Roads, Highways, and Bridges
• Urban

– Low-Impact Development*

• Wetland/Riparian Management

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LID Examples:

• Green spaces/Roofs
• Reduction of impervious surfaces
• Bioretention
• Flatten slopes
• Disperse drainage systems
• Vegetative swales
• Increase distance from streams
• Reforestation
• Water reuse

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Filtration/Bioretention Basin

Photo Credit: Neil Einstein

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Runoff Reduction from Basin:

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Impervious Cover:

• Impervious cover is

defined as “Any surface in the urban landscape that cannot effectively absorb or infiltrate rainfall; for example, roads, roofs, parking lots, etc..

Fairfaxcounty.gov

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Stormwater Capture:

• Cisterns are a great

way to collect rain water and reuse for landscaping or indoor water use activities

lakecountyil.gov

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Rain Garden Cross Section

Cross section of a small residential rain garden, Michigan LID manual

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RECARGA: http://dnr.wi.gov/runoff/models/

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Green Roofs

• Decrease building

temps (and need for much AC); By as much as 40-50 degrees F

• Decrease runoff

volume and Increase runoff water quality

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Benefits of green roofs

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Types of Green Roofs:

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Modular systems

• GreenGrid
• Green Roof Block System

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Eight Tools of Watershed Protection

• Watershed/Land

Use Planning

• Land Conservation
• Aquatic Buffers*
• Better Site Design*
• Erosion and

Sediment Control*

• Stormwater

Management

• Non-Stormwater

Discharge*

• Watershed

Stewardship

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Treatment of “Gray Water”

Gross et al. 2007

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Global Annual Freshwater Withdrawals:

500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 Africa North and Central America South America Asia Europe Oceania

km3 per year

Total Freshwater Withdrawals

Total Freshwater Withdrawals

Source: www.worldwater.org

U.S. alone: 482.2

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Pollutants in Inland Lakes:

• Nutrients (P, N)
• Solids (TDS, TSS, Soils)
• Metals (Arsenic, lead, etc..)
• Cyclic organics (PCB’s, oils, etc..)
• Other toxins (Cyanide*)

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Impacts of Pollutants in Inland Lakes:

• Nutrients (P, N) = eutrophication (increased weed/algae

growth)

• Solids (TDS, TSS, Soils) = decrease in water clarity and

depth

• Metals (Arsenic, lead, etc..) = accumulation of metals in

sediments

• Cyclic organics (PCB’s, oils, etc..) = bioaccumulation

and bio-magnification of toxins in higher life such as fish, humans

• Other toxins (Cyanide) = even low doses are TOXIC to

many forms of aquatic life

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Websites for Useful H2O Conservation:

• http://www.plumbinginfo.ca/tag/water-conservation/
• http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/chap3.cfm
• http://www.naturesvoice-
• urchoice.org/conservation-devices/72.html
• http://35.9.116.206/IWR/brochures/HIT.pdf
• http://www.worldwater.org/data.html
• http://www.climate.org/topics/water.html
• http://www.watercache.com/education/grayw

ater/

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Websites for Useful H2O Conservation:

• http://www.ecoinstitution.com/green-news/helping-

people-green-their-homes-2/

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Questions/Comments ?