BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Engineering, Architecture, Fine Arts

Gov. Pablo Borbon Campus II, Alangilan, Batangas City, Philippines 4200
www.batstate-u.edu.ph
Telefax: (043) 300-4404 locs. 106-118

CHEMICAL AND FOOD ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Introduction
Water is a major factor
in
shaping
our
landscape.
Through
the
processes
of
erosion and sediment
transport, water forms
many surface features
such as valleys, flood
plains,
deltas,
and
beaches. Water also
forms
subsurface
features
such
as
caves.
Natural
wonders such as the
Grand Canyon were,
and are being, carved
by
water.
Streams
from
upland
areas
carried much of the
sand that is located on
ocean beaches Water
is
a
renewable
resource. However, it
is not always available
when or where it
needed, and it may
not be of suitable
quality for intended
uses.
Although
we
commonly take for
granted that clean and
abundant water is as
close as the nearest
faucet,
water
resources
The ocean is the
source of most of the
worlds
precipitation
(rainfall and snowfall),
but
peoples
freshwater needs are
met almost entirely by
precipitation on land
(see Figure 4.1), with a
small
though
increasing amount by
desalination. Due to changes in the state of the ocean, precipitation patterns are
altering, affecting human well-being. Ocean changes are also affecting marine living

resources and other socio-economic benefits on which many communities depend.

The availability, use and management of freshwater, and of aquatic ecosystems in
general, are key to development and human well-being.
The Water Cycle

The constant movement of water from oceans, to atmosphere, to land surface, and
back to the oceans again is known as the water or hydrologic cycle. To
understand water availability and quality, this cycle must be viewed at several
spatial and temporal scales. Precipitation events that occur over a small area can
cause local flooding, but have minimal effect on the larger watershed. Water can
infiltrate rapidly into sandy soils, or run off rapidly from bare rock. Precipitation is
the source of fresh water virtually everywhere on Earth, but the location, timing,
and amount of precipitation are highly variable. Evaporation and transpiration
return water to the atmosphere and also are highly variable in space and time.
Water that falls to the Earths surface follows one of several paths, it evaporates,
infiltrates into the soil, flows along the soil surface into streams or other water
bodies, or recharges groundwater. Precipitation in the form of snow eventually (after
melting) evaporates, infiltrates into the soil, flows into wate bodies, or recharges
groundwater. While in its solid state, snow can lose water vapor to the atmosphere
through sublimation. The portion of the precipitation that infiltrates into soils and is
not captured by plant roots percolates into (recharges) the groundwater system.
Because of large variations in the distribution of precipitation, evaporation, and
transpiration, much of the water that falls on the Earths surface never reaches the
ocean as stream or groundwater flow. As water moves through the hydrologic cycle,
it comes in contact with natural and human-made materials that change its quality.
Water Cycle Spheres

Hydrosphere - Water moves from the earth to the atmosphere through the
processes of evaporation and transpiration.

Evaporation is the transformation of water from its liquid form to its

gaseous form as a result of coming in contact with heat or the air.
Transpiration is the process of plants releasing water through their
leaves is called.

Atmosphere - Air that holds moisture until it falls as precipitation.

Precipitation is the moisture from the atmosphere that is returned to the

earth in the form of snow or rain.

Biosphere - Includes all plant and animal life which are consumers of water.

Lithosphere - Land where water falls as precipitation.

Physical and Chemical Makeup of Water

Water, in its purest form, is tasteless, odorless, and colorless.

It is a chemical compound made up of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom

of oxygen.

Its chemical symbol is H2O.

Solid form of water is called ice.

Water freezes at 32F or 0C.

Gaseous form of water is called water vapor or steam.

When water boils it turns into water vapor or steam. Water boils at 212F or
100C.

In between the gaseous and solid form, water is in its liquid form.

Water that contains salt is called saline water. Sodium chloride, potassium,
and magnesium can raise the level of salts in the water. The amount of salt in
the water will determine its usefulness. Water that is too high in salt cannot
be used for drinking or irrigation.

Categories of Saline Water

Freshwater - Water with less than 3.0 parts per thousand (ppt) of salt. Most
commonly found in drilled wells, streams, and lakes. Only 3 percent of the
water on the earth is considered freshwater, of this 3 percent only 1 percent
is available for use.

Saltwater - Water with 16.5 ppt or more of salt. Some ocean and sea water is
as high as 33 to 37 ppt. Saltwater makes up about 97 percent of the earths
water.

Brackish water - A mixture of saltwater and freshwater. Brackish water is

found where freshwater flows into the ocean or other bodies of saltwater. An
estuary is the area where a freshwater stream flows into the ocean or a
saltwater lake.

Flowing Bodies of Water

One of the most important parts of the water cycle is the stream.

Streams are flowing bodies of water that are useful resources for irrigation,
factories, and local water systems.

Types of Streams

Stream type is determined by the volume and velocity of the movement of

water, or streamflow.

The four types of streams are rivers, creeks, brooks, and canals.

Stream Hydrology

The study of flowing water and its environment.

The physical, chemical, and biological properties of the water and the
surrounding environment are tested.

The ecosystems, including food webs, are studied.

Stream Structure

Determines how water moves within the stream and through the earth.

A stream is an important part of watershed or catchment.

The edge of a watershed is known as a drainage divide.

The area through which water flows in a stream is called a channel.

A channel is usually formed with rock or soil and it is the sides and bottom of
the stream.

The bottom of the channel is called the stream bed, the sides are called the
stream banks.

When a channel is not large enough to hold the flow of water the area that
overflows is called a flood plain.

Non-Flowing Bodies

These bodies may be natural or artificial.

Non-flowing bodies of water influence the weather and climate of an area.

Commerce, food supply, and recreational activities can also be

influenced by the non-flowing bodies of water in an area.

Bodies of water that do not flow still have water movement.

The internal movement is caused by temperature changes and salinity.

Types of Non-Flowing Bodies

Seven types of non-flowing bodies of water are:

Oceans - Large bodies of saltwater; Cover almost 75 percent of the

surface of the earth.
Lakes - Bodies of freshwater that are surrounded by land; Vary in size,
some are natural and others are man-made.
Ponds - Non-flowing bodies of water that are smaller than lakes;
Commonly manmade and used as a source of recreation or for use by
livestock.
Reservoirs - Large bodies of stored water; Commonly used to generate
electric power.
Sloughs - Thick, muddy areas of shallow water.
Marshes - Areas of land covered with shallow water and plants such as
cattails; Do not contain trees and are similar in nature to sloughs.
Estuaries - Areas where freshwater streams flow into the ocean or a
saltwater lake; semienclosed coastal area, where seawater mixes with
fresh water from rivers; also, the tidal area of the lower part of a river.

As in flowing streams, non-flowing bodies of water may contain a variety of

ecosystems.

Pollution Sources

Point sources are direct discharges to a single point;

Examples include discharges from sewage treatment plants, injection wells,and

some industrial sources.

Non-point sources are diffused across a broad area and their contamination
cannot be traced to a single discharge point.

Examples include runoff of excess fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from

agricultural lands and residential areas; oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban
runoff and energy production; and sediment from improperly managed construction
sites, crop and forest lands, and eroding stream banks.