Year 11 Senior

Science

8.2 Water for Living

Focus 1 & 2

Name: John Nkpolukwu

Class: Science B for best
Teacher: Miss Dionis

2
 Water for Living Focus 1 & 2 – Contents

1. Syllabus
2. Glossary
3. Solutions
4. Experiment: Solubility of Materials
5. The Importance of Water as a Solvent
6. Known Water Content of Living Things
7. Experiment: Water Content of Living Things
8. Optimising Water Uptake in Plants
9. How Plants Reduce Water Loss
10. Experiment: Adaptations in Plants that Assist in Reducing Water Loss
11. How Animals Reduce Water Loss
12. The Water Cycle
13. Experiment: Representing the Earth’s Water
14. Types of Water
15. Mapping Water in the Local Area (Liverpool)
16. Problems with Groundwater
17. Catalyst Special: Groundwater 15/3/07
18. Salinity
19. Australia’s Ecosystems
20. Water Wise Rules
8.2 Water for Living
Contextual Outline
The Earth’s water budget was essentially fixed as it cooled when gaseous water condensed and settled on the
cooling planet. Free water exists in liquid form as surface and ground water and it is this water which is
available for living things. It is also in the atmosphere as the main gas that absorbs back-radiation from the
Earth to assist in stabilising the Earth’s surface temperatures and climatic conditions.

The terrain and climate determine the amount of water available for an individual continent. Australia has an
arid environment because its water budget is limited in most areas due to a combination of factors, such as the
Great Dividing Range, which limits rain coming in from the east, the Papua-New Guinea Highlands, which
limit rain entering inland from the north, and very cold atmospheric and ocean currents coming in from
Antarctica, which limit rain entering Australia from the south.

The NSW river systems have been disturbed by many factors, including run-off from pastoral systems and the
damming and re-routing of others. There are now limits regulating the discharge permitted into the river
systems and the health of these systems is continuing to improve.

Large areas of land have been set aside as catchment regions for dams supplying urban environments and
experience has shown that care of these catchments is essential for clean, pollution-free drinking water.

This module increases students understanding of the nature and practice, the applications and uses of science
and the implications of science for society and the environment.

Assumed Knowledge
Refer to the Science Years 7–10 Syllabus for the following:
4.7.5b) identify, using examples, the importance of water as a solvent
4.7.5c) describe aqueous mixtures in terms of solute, solvent and solution
4.8.1a) identify that living things are made of cells
4.9.5a) describe the water cycle in terms of the physical processes involved
 Students learn to:
1. Water is essential  identify the relative amount of water
for the health of in a variety of living things
humans and other
living things  describe the importance of water as a
solvent in the
– bloodstream
– cells
– transpiration stream
 discuss ways in which plants optimise
water uptake
 discuss ways, using examples, that
plants reduce water loss such as:
– thick outer coating
(cuticle) on leaves
– reduced leaves
– dropping leaves in times
of drought
Students:
 perform a first-hand investigation to
demonstrate that substances dissolve
in water and identify the solute and
solvent in each case
 plan, choose equipment or resources
for and perform a first-hand
investigation to determine the amount
of water present in a variety of fruits,
vegetables and meat
 perform a first-hand investigation to
identify adaptations of some plants
that assist in reducing water loss
 gather, process and analyse
information to identify the different
ways in which a range of terrestrial
animals reduce water loss

 discuss ways, using examples, that

animals reduce water loss such as:
– excrete uric acid instead
of urea
– nocturnal behaviour
– reduced activity
– lying in the shade
– burrowing underground
Students learn to: Students:
2. Water is an  outline types of surface and ground  process information from
important factor in waters in the hydrological cycle such as: secondary sources to map the
the maintenance of bore water location and type of surface and
Australian artesian water ground water in the local area
environments the water table
 analyse information from
dams
secondary sources to outline the
rivers
relationships between rainfall and
lakes
types of Australian ecosystems
wetlands
– cave environments  process, analyse and present
information from secondary
 discuss the effects of water pollution and sources to assess human impact on
ground salinity on the continued supply one aquatic ecosystem or water
of fresh water to living things and source in Australia and identify
provide examples of these occurring in some consequences of this impact
Australian environments and one possible rehabilitation
technique
 identify possible solutions to
environmental problems associated with
the use of ground water

 outline one local, State or Federal

Government policy on water-related
issues in relation to increasing problems
with water supplies across NSW
 Students learn to: Students:
3. A wide range of  define the terms fertiliser, herbicide  plan, choose equipment and resources
chemicals used in and pesticide and explain, using for, and perform a first-hand
human activity may examples, why each is used in the investigation to determine the effect of
impact on water Australian context various concentrations of fertiliser on
systems plant growth
 identify the conditions under which  process information from secondary
fertiliser and pesticides may be carried sources on methods of bioassay for
into water systems water purity
 assess the impact on water systems of
the release of substances produced or
used by households, such as:
– oils
– detergents
– bleaches and toilet cleaners
– insoluble materials
– sewage

 identify the use of and impact on

water systems of substances such as:
– heavy metals (lead and mercury)
– phosphates
– nitrates

 identify the impact on aquatic

ecosystems of factors such as
– accumulated sediment
– leaching from tips
– bioaccumulation

4. Strategies to  describe some of the strategies that
reduce water households can use to reduce water
pollution can be a pollution
result of personal
initiative or  identify conditions under which algal
government blooms may occur in the rivers of
legislation New South Wales
 describe impacts of algal blooms in
rivers
 discuss alternative strategies to the use
of chemicals in agriculture to reduce
water pollution
 identify an example of technology
being used and developed to reduce
water pollution and discuss possible
long-term effects of this strategy
 gather information from secondary
sources to identify causes and impacts
of algal blooms in waterways in NSW
 perform a first-hand investigation to
determine the amount of water used
per household for one activity such as
water used per toilet flush
water used per shower
− water used per washing
machine cycle
and identify ways in which it can be
reduced
 gather, process and present
information from secondary sources
on the latest technologies being used
to purify and treat water
 Students learn to:
5. Water pollution at  discuss types of indicator organisms
the local level that are found in safe water supplies
impacts on global and those found in polluted water
water quality
 define what is meant by a catchment
area
 identify a local catchment area and the
sources of water feeding into this
catchment
 describe possible sources of
contamination that may enter
catchments
 describe the types of tests that are used
to monitor and assess local water
quality
 explain how water quality in one area
can impact on the water quality in
other areas
Students:
 plan, choose equipment or resources
for, and perform a first-hand
investigation to determine the
indicator organisms present in a local
catchment area and from these deduce
the chemical purity of water
 gather information on the source of
water feeding into the local catchment
area using maps or field trips
 gather information from secondary
sources concerning the use and
treatment of local water
 gather, process and present
information from secondary sources to
identify some major disasters
involving water pollution
 Water for Living – Glossary
Word Definition
Accumulated
sediment
     

Artesian water      

Aquifier      
Bioaccumulatio
n
     

Bioassay      

Bore water      

Catchment area      

Cyanobacteria      

Dam      

Eutrophication      

Fertiliser      

Ground salinity      

Ground water      

Herbicide      
Indicator
organism
     

Lake      

Leaching      

Pesticide      

pH      
 Word Definition
River      

Solute      

Solution      

Solvent      

Surface Water      

Transpiration
stream
     

Turbidity      

Water pollution      

Water table      

Wetland      
 Solutions
You can taste the salt in sea water but you cannot see the salt. The salt is said to be
dissolved in the water. In this example, we have a solid substance (salt) dissolved in a
large amount of liquid (water), giving salt water. In this situation, special names are
used.
• The solid salt is called the solute
• The salt is said to be soluble in water
• The liquid water is called the solvent
• The salt water is called a solution
• Water solutions are called aqueous solutions

Solutions are the most common type of mixture.

A solution is formed when one substance (called
the solute) dissolves in another (called the
solvent). For example, when sugar is mixed with
water, the solute is the sugar and the solvent is
the water. We say that a sugar solution has been
formed. One characteristic of solutions is that
they are transparent (though they may be
coloured) - no particles of the solute can be seen
as they are too small and are spread evenly
throughout the solvent. When a solution is made,
the solute does not disappear. All of the solute
added is still in the solution even though you
can’t see it. The total mass of a solution is always
equal to the mass of the solvent plus the mass of
the solute.

Water is sometimes called the universal solvent because so many substances dissolve in
it to form aqueous solutions. Besides aqueous solutions, there are many other solutions.
This is because there are many other solvents. Solvents other than water are referred to
as non-aqueous solvents. One example of a non-aqueous solvent is ethanol (alcohol).
Ethanol will dissolve some solutes that water does not dissolve.

There are some generalizations that can be made about aqueous solutions
• Solutions are mixtures of solute and solvent
• Solutions are homogeneous (uniform throughout)
• The extent to which a substance dissolves in water is called its solubility
• Substances, like sand, that do not dissolve in water are said to be insoluble
• Mixtures like sand in water are known as suspensions (because the sand doesn’t
dissolve in water)

Solutes are not necessarily solids, they can also be liquids or gases. Liquid inks can
dissolve, some are soluble in water, others are soluble in ethanol. Some gases, such as
oxygen, dissolve to a certain extent in water. It is the dissolved oxygen in the waters of
the Earth that fish can use. Indeed without this dissolved oxygen, and gills to obtain it
from water, fish would drown in water.
1. Label the diagram below:

     

2. Use the information from the diagram to complete the statements below.

(a) solvent + solute →      

(b)       + sugar → sugar solution (syrup)

3. Answer true or false to the following statements.

a) All solutions are mixtures      
b) Sand is soluble in water      
c) A suspension is another name for a solution      
d) The substance dissolved to form a solution is called the solvent      
e) Water is the only solvent      
f) Oxygen is insoluble in water      
g) Ethanol is a non-aqueous solvent      
h) Sugar is insoluble in water      
i) Solutions are homogeneous      
j) Solutes can be solids, liquids or gases      

4. In aqueous salt solution, water is called the _____, and salt is called the _____

5. The term ‘aqueous’ refers to a solution with       as the solvent

6. A substance that dissolves in water is said to be _____

7. Sand in water is an example of a _____
8. Read the passage below and insert the correct word from the following list. Some
words may be used more than once.

dissolve(2) evenly solvent(2) mixes solute(2) solutes

dissolved(3) soluble solution(4) dissolves liquid

A __________________ is a special kind of mixture. A solution is formed when one chemical

dissolves, or __________________ evenly into another. The most common type of solution is
formed when a solid, such as copper sulfate __________________ in a __________________ such
as water. A __________________ of copper sulfate is formed.

In a __________________ no solid particles are visible. They have all mixed __________________
into the liquid. However, we can usually tell that the solid has __________________. A copper
sulfate solution, for example, is blue. The blue colour due to the dissolved copper sulfate
crystals is obvious. A sodium chloride __________________ looks just like water. However, if
we taste it we know that salt has been __________________ in it because of the salty
flavour.

We call a liquid (like water) which will __________________ another chemical (like salt) a
__________________ for that chemical. The salt, or any other solid which will dissolve in a
solvent is called a __________________.

Water is a solvent for salt. It is also a solvent for copper sulfate. Both chemicals are
__________________ by the water. Water is not a __________________ for sand because sand
will not dissolve in water.

Copper sulfate and salt are both __________________ in water. That is, they both dissolve in
water. However, neither of them is a __________________ for a liquid like methylated spirits
because they do not __________________ in it.

We say that copper sulfate and salt are __________________ in water, but insoluble in
methylated spirits.
Syllabus dot point: perform a first-hand investigation to demonstrate that substances dissolve in water and identify the solute and solvent in each case

Experiment: Solubility of Materials

Aim:
To determine which kitchen substances are soluble in water

Materials:
• Measuring cylinder (50 mL) • 6 Test tubes • Spatula
• Salt • Sugar • Flour
• Bicarbonate of soda • Cocoa/Milo • Coffee
• Test tube rack • Tap water • Stirring rod

Method:
1. Place 40 mL of water into each test tube
2. Place ½ a spatula full of each substance into different test tubes
3. Stir each test tube evenly for the same amount of time
4. Observe whether the substance being tested dissolves or not. Estimate how much of
the teaspoon is dissolved. To do this, compare how much solid settles or floats. The
more soluble the substance is, the less will settle or float. Record your results

Results:
Use the words solute and soluble to complete the headings of the table.
What is the solvent in each test?      

Sol      Is it sol      in water (yes/no/partially)

Salt      
Sugar      
Flour      
Bicarbonate of soda      
Cocoa/Milo      
Coffee      

Discussion:
1. What was the independent variable? (the factor you changed on purpose each time)
     
2. What was the dependent variable? (the factor you measured as your results)
     
3. What variables were controlled? (the factors that were kept the same to make the
experiment a fair test)
     
4. What factors or conditions may influence the solubility of a substance?
     

Conclusion:
State which substances dissolved in water, which did not and which partially dissolved
     
Syllabus dot point: describe the importance of water as a solvent in the
– bloodstream
– cells
– transpiration stream

The Importance of Water as a Solvent

Bloodstream
water has a very important role in the human body because it helps to transport
substances around the body in the blood. Substances transported include digested
food, oxygen hormones and waste products. In the bloodstream, water is a solvent
and many substances being moved y the blood are carried in solution

Cells
In cells water acts as a solvent for oxygen and many nutrients to organs. Wtaer acts
as urea and carbon dioxide. It also facilities the transfer of gasses into cells.

Transpiration Stream
The movement of water throught the plant from root to leaf is referred to as the
transpiration stream. Water acts as a solvent for mineral nutrients as the plant relies
on water to carry nutirents up from the soil so that it can grow and develope.

Syllabus dot point: identify the relative amount of water in a variety of living things

Known Water Content of Living Things

1. Use the information below to graph the percentages of water in different organisms. The information
should be presented as a column graph.

Organism Water Content (%) Organism Water Content (%)

Jellyfish 98 Potato 78
Chicken 66 Lettuce 95
Tomato 92 Human 66
Cabbage 91 Banana 73
Apple 84 Orange 87

2. Fresh samples of a number of plant products were tested for moisture content. The results obtained are
below. Complete the table by converting the water content of each plant tested to a percentage.
 Type of Plant Moisture Content Percentage Moisture Content (%)
Peas 35 g water in 50 g peas      
Tomatoes 9.5 g water in 10 g tomatoes      
Potatoes 77 g water in 100g potatoes      
Apples 63 g water in 75 g apples      

3. Which of the following contains the most water?

a 120 g tomato (92 % water)      
a 140 g banana (73 % water)      
a 135 g orange (86 % water)      

4. Sophie’s mass is 60 kg. How much water does her body contain? (Assume 1 litre of water has a mass of
1 kg)      
plan, choose equipment or resources for and perform a first-hand investigation to determine the amount of water present in a variety of fruits, vegetables
and meat

Experiment: Water Content of Living Things

Introduction:
You probably already know that organisms (living things) are made up of cells and that
plant and animal cells are slightly different. One property that plant and animal cells
share is that both kinds of cell are mainly composed of water.

Aim:
To determine the percentage, by weight, of water in various fruits, vegetables and meats

Materials:
• Electronic Balance • Lettuce
• Incubator/oven • Steak
• 5 Crucibles • Potato
• 1 Evaporating dish • Tomato
• Knife • Apple
• Chopping Board • Orange

Method:
1. Place a crucible on the electronic balance and record the weight in the results
table below.
2. Fill the crucible with small pieces of apple. Record the undried weight in the results
table below.
3. Repeat steps 1-2 for the other food samples (Use an evaporating dish instead of a
crucible for lettuce)
4. Place the samples in an incubator/oven at 40OC
5. Weigh each sample every day. To be sure that all the water has been lost from the
cells you should continue warming and weighing until you obtain identical consecutive
readings. This is known as obtaining a constant weight. Record the dried weight in the
results table below.
6. Calculate the percentage of water present in each sample using the following
formula

Percentage weight of water = weight of undried food – weight of dried food x

100
weight of undried food
Results:

Food Weight of empty Weight of undried food (g) Weight of dried food (g) Calculations %
crucible/evaporating dish (mass of crucible with food - (mass of crucible with food (See step 6 in method) weight
(g) mass of empty crucible) - mass of empty crucible) of water
Lettuce 1.0 70.10 44.46 25.64 36.3%
1.0 15.3 62.5%
Steak 5.74 9.6
Potato 1.0 15.34 4.84 10.5 68.4%
Tomato 1.0 14.08 3.15 10.93 77.6%
1.0 15.33
Apple 9.62 5.71 37.3%
15.45
Orange 1.0 8.44 7.01 45.4%

Discussion:
1. What is the name of process by which the water is lost?
The process is evaporation

2. Why do we use the procedure of heating to a “constant weight”?

We should keep wieghting constantly till we constantly get the same wiegh

3. Compare your results with that of published data.

(a) Are your results accurate?
yes it is very accurate as we repeated it

(b)Explain any difference between your results and that of the published data
My results may differ from the resukts of a published data because as they may have done it a different way

Conclusion:
Place the fruits, vegetables and meat in order from highest water content to lowest water content
the fruits vegetbles and meat from highest water content to lowest were tomato, potato, steak, orange, apple& lettuce
Syllabus dot point: discuss ways in which plants optimise water uptake

Optimising Water Uptake in Plants

- Plants have thousands of root hairs that increase the srface area for water
aborption. Root hairsensure close contact with soil to increase the rate of water
uptake. They have large deep penetrating root systems.
- Plants grow sparsly to reduce competition for water areas where water is scarce.
- Leaves slope steeply upward to catch rain and direct the rain to dense shallow
Syllabus dot point: discuss ways, using examples, that plants reduce water loss such as:
– thick outer coating (cuticle) on leaves
– reduced leaves
– dropping leaves in times of drought

How Plants Reduce Water Loss

• A waxy cuticle (a cuticle is the outside coating)
This surface reflects light from the sun. This reduces heat on the leaves which prevents water from
evaporating from the leaves
• Reduced leaves and dropping leaves in times of drought
Fewer leaves means less transpiration (movement of water from the root to the leaf) so water is
conserved
• Thin and needle like leaves
This conserves moisture by reducing water loss by transpiration
• Leaf curling
The leaf curls so that the stomata are enclosed in a tight area. (Stomata are tiny pores found on the
leaves of plants. Water can move out of the plant through these pores). This reduces the ability of
water vapour to leave the area and thus reduces water loss.
• Sunken stomates
The stomata are located in sunken grooves which results in humid air being concentrated above the
stomate, which reduces water loss
• Water storage
Water is stored in trunk, leaves or roots
• Hanging leaves
Leaf hangs down rather than being held horizontal to the ground, which reduces exposure to sun
• Hairy leaves
Hairy surfaces on under surface reduce air movement and increase humidity over stomates, reducing
water loss

Question
Match the numbers in the left hand column of the table with the letters in the right hand column. Use
your results to decode the mystery word below, which is a term used to describe plants that are
adapted to areas where water is in short supply.

1x 2E 3R 4o 5p 6H 7Y 8T 9S

How does this adaptation allow the plant to

Adaptation
1. Shiny or hairy leaves
2. Waxy cuticle on leaves such as eucalypts
3. Extensive root system
4. Leaves reduced to small spines or scales,
sometimes with the stem taking over the role of
photosynthesis, leaves hanging vertically
5. Sunken stomates, stomates reduced in
number or stomates on undersurface of leaf
only
6. Closure of stomates during the hottest part of
the day
7. Leaves rolling, curling up or falling during dry
conditions
8. Rapid life cycle
conserve water?
E. Provides a waterproof coating to reduce water
loss from the leaf by evaporation
S. Allows the plant to store large quantities of
water
P. Reduces evaporation of water from stomates
because they are reduced in number or partly
enclosed by the leaf
H. Prevents water being lost by evaporation during
the warmer hours of the day
Y. Behavioural adaptations that reduce the surface
area of leaves exposed to drying conditions
X. Reflect heat from the plant, so reducing water
loss by evaporation
R. Increases the plant’s ability to draw water from
the soil
O. Reduces the surface area of the leaf and
 reduces water lost through stomates during
photosynthesis
9. Swollen stems T. Allows the plant to flower and produce seeds
when water is available to it
Syllabus dot point: perform a first-hand investigation to identify adaptations of some plants that assist in reducing water loss

Experiment: Adaptations in Plants That Assist in

Reducing Water Loss
Background information:

Adaptations in the roots, stems, leaves and flowers of native Australian plants
help them to conserve water. In this investigation, a variety of Australian
plants are available for examination so that first hand information may be
gathered about them.

Aim:

     

Materials:

- A number of plants that have adaptations to minimise water loss, for

example casuarina, acacia/wattle, cacti (reduced leaf surface), eucalyptus
species and hakea, grevillia and banksia species, spinifex grass (hairs rolled
inwards)
- Hand lenses
- Plant slides
- Microscope

Method:

1. Collect a variety of leaf samples from Australian native plants from around
the school
2. Carefully observe each of the plant structures that minimise water loss
using a hand lens eg waxy cuticle, sunken stomata, reduced numbers of
stomata, reduce leaf surface, hairs on the leaf surface
3. Make a labelled diagram of each leaf highlighting the appropriate structures
and state how each structure helps to minimise water loss
4. Examine the plant slides under the microscope to observe sunken stomates
5. Compare and discuss results with other students in the classroom

Discussion

1. Prepare a table to summarise the adaptations you have observed

2. Identify two safe work practices needed during this investigation
Experiment: Adaptations in Plants That Assist in
Reducing Water Loss
How adaptation minimises water loss Adaptation: Diagram: Plant:
How adaptation minimises water loss Adaptation: Diagram: Plant:
How adaptation minimises water loss Adaptation: Diagram: Plant:
Experiment: Adaptations in Plants That Assist in
Reducing Water Loss
How adaptation minimises water loss Adaptation: Diagram: Plant:
How adaptation minimises water loss Adaptation: Diagram: Plant:
How adaptation minimises water loss Adaptation: Diagram: Plant:
Syllabus dot point: discuss ways, using examples, that animals reduce water loss such as:
– excrete uric acid instead of urea
– nocturnal behaviour
– reduced activity
– lying in the shade
– burrowing underground

How Animals Reduce Water Loss

     
Syllabus dot point: gather, process and analyse information to identify the different ways in which a range of terrestrial animals reduce water loss

How Animals Reduce Water Loss

Complete the following table by giving an example of an adaptation to conserve water

for each animal. Include an explanation of why each adaptation is effective in reducing
water loss.

Animal Adaptation How water is conserved

Hopping
           
mouse

Wombat            

Possum            

Kangaroo            

Lizard            
 The Water Cycle
You have no doubt read or learnt about the water cycle
previously.
The diagram below shows a simple form of the water
cycle. The many forms of water and the processes that
link them are shown. Some books or reference sources
will refer to this as the hydrological cycle. This is just
another name for water cycle. The term 'water' comes
from the Greek word hydra so anything relating to water
can have hydra or hydro in the term. Two examples of
this is hydro-electricity, as electricity is generated by
water and hydration is the process of adding water to
a substance.
You will now use coloured pencils to colour in sections of
the water cycle above. This will help to better
understand the processes involved.
a) clouds, snow and glacier – yellow
b) sun – orange
c) trees – green
d) transpiration and evaporation – light blue
e) precipitation (rain) – purple
f) percolation, ground water, ocean and lakes – dark
blue
g) run off and rivers – red.
Draw a flow chart including the following terms in the
order they appear in the water cycle: ground water;
evaporation; percolation; precipitation.
      Experiment: Representing the Earth’s Water
Aim:
To represent and compare the types and respective quantities of the Earth’s total water
supply.

Materials:
• 1 L graduated beaker (with 1 L of water) • 20 g NaCl
• 10 and 50 mL graduated cylinders • stirring rod
• 100 mL beakers (3) • dropper
• wax paper (one piece 5 cm square) • texta

Method:
1 Label the beakers: the 1 L beaker ‘A’ and the three 100 mL beakers ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’.
2 Fill beaker A with 1000 mL of water.
3 Pour 28 mL of water from beaker A into a 100 mL beaker labelled B.
4 Add 20 g of NaCl to beaker A. (This now represents the salt water in the Earth’s
oceans — unfit for drinking.)
5 The water in beaker B represents all the Earth’s fresh water. Pour 6.5 mL from beaker
B into beaker C. The water in beaker B now represents inaccessible freshwater tied up
in glacier and polar icecaps. (This could be put in the freezer.)
6 Pour 3.4 mL from beaker C into beaker D. The water in beaker C now represents
inaccessible ground water.
7 The water in beaker D now represents the entire supply of fresh water on the Earth,
but much of this water is polluted or otherwise unavailable for human use. Use the
dropper to remove 5 drops of water from beaker D and place these on the wax paper.
This water represents the water available for drinking (1 mL = 20 drops).

Questions:
1 Draw diagrams to show the beakers (and wax paper) and their contents. Label each
with the type of water represented.
Draw a column graph to represent these figures.

3 Comment on the varying amounts and types of water.

     

4 What are the implications or significance of these quantities for:

a national government leaders?
     

b farmers?
     

c local government councils?

     

d individuals?
     
 Syllabus dot point: outline types of surface and ground waters in the hydrological cycle such as:
– bore water
– artesian water
– the water table
– dams
– rivers
– lakes
– wetlands
– cave environments

Types of Water
1. Surface Water
This water occurs on the surface of the Earth and is easy for people to access. It includes both
fresh and salt water
(a) Rivers: A moving body of fresh water
(b) Dams: An artificial (man made) body of surface water
(c) Lakes: A naturally occurring body of surface water
(d) Wetlands: A continually waterlogged area such as billabongs, swamps, salt marches,
mudflats and mangroves

2. Ground Water
This includes any water that is beneath the Earth’s surface
• Water can be stored under the ground in rocks. Rocks that can store water are called
porous rocks. Other rocks do not store water but water can pass through them. These are
called permeable rocks. Rocks that are both porous and permeable are called aquifiers.
• When ground water that is flowing through aquifiers becomes trapped and is confined
under pressure between layers of rock and is unable to move it is called artesian water. It
naturally rises to the surface under its own pressure.
• Bore water is underground water that must be pumped to the surface if it is to be used.
Water from wells is called bore water.
• The upper surface of ground water is called the water table
• Water can also be found in underground rivers and pools in cave environments
Questions

1. Identify the different types of water and the water table labelled a-e

(a)       (e)

(b)      
(c)      
(d)      
(e)      
2. Look at the diagram below. In this diagram use an arrow to show where would you
find:

(a) Artesian water

(b) Bore water

3. Use the information in the text you have just read to match the following water terms
with the appropriate explanations.

artesian water a moving body of surface water

a continually water logged area where the water table

river
meets the surface

underground water that must be pumped to the surface if

water table
it is to be used

a naturally occurring body of surface water, formed where

dam
the water table meets the surface

porous or permeable underground rock that can hold

underground lake
water

bore water the upper surface of ground water

lake an artificial body of surface water

wetland a body of underground water, usually within a cave

aquifer underground water that naturally flows to the surface
4. The following diagram provides a model to show the distribution of the world’s water.
Examine this model and use the information it contains to answer the questions below.

Distribution of the World’s Water

Fresh water 3 %

All water

Oceans 97 %

Fresh water Easily accessible surface fresh water 1

%

Ground water
20 %
Icecaps and glaciers 79 %

Easily accessible
surface fresh water

Water within living

Atmospheric vapour 8 % organisms 1 %
Rivers 1 %

Soil moisture 38 % Lakes 52 %

(a) Identify the following percentages:
(i) percentage of the world’s water that is fresh      
(ii) percentage of easily accessible surface fresh water that is not from rivers or lakes      
(iii) percentage of the world’s water that is in ground water      

(b) State whether each of the following statements is true or false:

(i) Most of the world’s water occurs in the oceans      
(ii) Most of the world’s fresh water occurs in lakes      
(iii) Eight per cent of the world’s water occurs as vapour in the atmosphere      
(iv) There is more water underground than in all the rivers and lakes of the world combined
     
Syllabus dot point: process information from secondary sources to map the location and type of surface and ground water in the local area

Mapping Water in the Local Area (Liverpool)

Use a street directory to map the location of the creeks, lakes, river and bay below. Make
sure you complete the key. Key
Cabramatta Creek Floyd Bay
Prospect Creek Lake Moore
Lake Gulawarna Chipping Norton Lake
Dhurawal Bay Georges River
Syllabus dot point: discuss the effects of water pollution and ground salinity on the continued supply of fresh water to living things and provide examples
of these occurring in Australian environments
Syllabus dot point: identify possible solutions to environmental problems associated with the use of ground water

Problems With Ground Water

Ground water represents a significant component of the total global freshwater reserve. It is by far the
largest reservoir for drinking water and a as such signifies an important natural resource that needs to
be carefully managed to ensure sustainability.

Ground water comes from rainwater soaking its way through the soil into the underlying rocks, where it
slowly makes it way downhill under the pull of gravity – around 10 metres per year on average. The
movement of ground water is also strongly influenced by the types of rocks it encounters: porous rocks,
such as sandstone, act as a reservoir for groundwater, where as non-porous rocks, such as shales, act as a
barrier to it.

The quality of groundwater can be naturally highly variable. Some aquifers – geological formations that
store groundwater – release water that is very clear and low in dissolved minerals, such as salt. Others
have very murky or highly saline water, making it unsuitable without secondary treatment. Water quality
can even be variable within the one aquifer, with central areas being replenished more rapidly than the
more stagnant margins.

Saltwater Intrusion
Saltwater intrusion occurs when the human removal of ground water causes salt water to move into parts
of an aquifer that previously held fresh water. This typically occurs in aquifers adjacent to the sea that are
not sealed by an overlying layer of clay. Normally, fresh groundwater seeps its way downhill through the
aquifer until it discharges into the sea water. However if too much of this fresh groundwater is removed for
human uses, such as for drinking, irrigation and industry, the drop in water pressure acts like a straw to
draw salt water into the aquifer. The water being withdrawn from the aquifer becomes increasingly saline
and unsuitable for most uses. This form of saltwater intrusion is believed to have occurred in the
groundwater around Botany Bay, with the unregulated removal of groundwater by various industries in
decades past.

(a) Water usage balances rainwater added to aquifer

(b) If too much water is withdrawn from the aquifer, the water becomes increasingly saline and
unsuitable for most uses.

An example of the sustainable use of groundwater can be seen around Stockton Beach, north of
Newcastle. Fresh groundwater is removed from this unsealed aquifer to form part of the water supply for
Newcastle and the surrounding areas. By carefully studying the aquifer and its rates and patterns of flow,
water authorities know how much water they can safely remove without risking intrusion by sea water.
Saltwater intrusion can also occur without the involvement of sea water. If too much water is removed
from the central part of an aquifer, the more stagnant and saline water of the outer margins can be drawn
into the centre. Ground water used for cotton irrigation around the Mooki and Namoi rivers of Northern
New South Wales is becoming increasingly saline in this way. This impacts on soil fertility and crop yields.

Pollution
The pollution of groundwater is a serious problem. Most pollutants from human activities move through
aquifers at even slower rates than water, meaning any contamination will not just quickly flush away.
Industries are now regulated to try and prevent the pollution of groundwater. Unfortunately, unregulated
activities in the past are the source of much of the contaminants now detected in groundwater around the
country. If safe practices are not in place, groundwater can be polluted by a variety of activities.

Industry Potential Pollutants

Waste disposal:
Disease-causing viruses and bacteria, such as faecal coliforms
• Water and sewage
and enterococci; nutrients; heavy metals; ammonia, chlorides
• Garbage in landfill
and sulfates; organic compounds, such as dioxins and PCBs
• Hazardous wastes

Nitrogen, phosphate and potassium from fertilizers; pesticides;

Agriculture
herbicides; heavy metals; and bacteria

Chemical, petroleum and transport Petroleum hydrocarbons, benzene and ethyl benzene

Acidic water; iron; sulfates; organic materials; heavy metals; and

Mining hazardous substances, such as cyanide (used in concentrating
gold from crushed rock)

The treatment of polluted groundwater is very expensive and time consuming. One method that has been
attempted is to pump polluted water to the surface where it can be treated to remove the contaminants.
This cleaned water is then pumped back into the aquifer. An alternative method involves the use of
microbes to break down pollutants into less harmful forms. This can be done within the aquifer itself by
either introducing microbes or encouraging the growth of microbes already present by adding nutrients
and/or oxygen to the aquifer. This method can be used to treat contamination by hydrocarbons, such as
petroleum products.
 Use of Ground Water

Description (cause) Impact (effect) Solution

                 
Saltwater Intrusion
Environmental Problem
Pollution

                 

 Catalyst Special: Groundwater 15/3/07
1. Approximately what percentage of the world’s drinking water is groundwater.
     

2. Describe the current sources of drinking water in Western Australia.

     

3. Describe the problems facing the supply of water in Western Australia.

     

4. Outline some of the problems for ecosystems when groundwater is overused.

     

5. Discuss one of the solutions proposed to ‘recharge aquifers’ in Western Australia.

     

6. Discuss how the Botany Sands aquifer can be used to support Sydney’s water
supply.
     
Syllabus dot point: process, analyse and present information from secondary sources to assess human impact on one aquatic ecosystem or water source in Australia and identify some consequences of
this impact and one possible rehabilitation technique

Salinity
Much of Australia’s wealth comes from agriculture. The success of
our agricultural industries depends very much on the quality of the
land used for crop and livestock production. In countries throughout
Africa much of the land used for agriculture has been overused to a
point where output from the soil is extremely low – the land has
become degraded. Land degradation can be caused in many ways.
It can occur naturally but, more commonly, it results from misuse of
the land by humans. One common form of land degradation is
salinity, which is an increase in the level of salt in the soil. In many
farming areas of Australia the quality of the land being used for
agriculture is affected by salinity. It is estimated that salinity
reduces the value of production of Australian agriculture by $100
million each year. Fortunately, farmers in Australia have available
to them the technology and finance to find ways of overcoming the
salinity problem.

Salt can be found naturally in nearly all things in nature – rocks, soil
and water. Salinity becomes a problem when the level of salt
increases above what would normally be expected in an area. The
level of salinity in an area influences the types of crops or pastures
grown on farms.

How did Salinity Become a Problem?

At certain depths below the ground level, soil is fully saturated (or
soaked) with moisture. This zone or area of saturated soil is called
the ground water. The upper limit of ground water is known as the
water table. If the ground water has a high level of salinity and the
water table rises and comes into contact with the roots of plants,
their growth can be affected and some plants may die.
There are two main forms of salinity:
1. Salinity caused by over irrigation of farmlands. Too much water
on crops or pastures causes the soil moisture to increase, which
may cause the water table to rise and come into contact with
plant roots.
2. Dryland salinity. This is usually the result of clearing trees and
shrubs or overgrazing. With fewer plants, less moisture is
released back into the atmosphere (the process of
transpiration) and so more moisture soaks into the soil. As the
ground water flows to low points or depressions in the land, a
build-up of salt occurs at these depressions. The built-up salt
may come up to the surface as patches of very salty soil.
Dryland salinity is a problem in the wheat and sheep producing
lands of south-west Western Australia and parts of North Africa,
where much of the natural vegetation of this area has been
cleared.
 Case study: Salinity in Australia’s Murray Valley silt) carried by the Murray River and other streams. The ground
water under the Murray Valley has a high level of salinity due to
this salt-rich layer below the surface.

When large areas of the valley were irrigated, increased water

soaking into the soil caused the water table to rise. This brought
the salty ground water into contact with the roots of trees and
plants, and in some cases right to the surface. The salty ground
water not only damages and in some cases kills plants, but it also
flows towards the lowest point. The lowest point may be a creek or
river, which eventually finds its way into the Murray River. This
creates a further problem because Adelaide obtains most of its
water from the Murray. Water for household use in Adelaide has
four times more salt in it than Sydney’s water supply.

Dealing with the salinity problem

In 1989 the Commonwealth and state governments agreed to a
management plan for the Murray Valley known as the Salinity and
Drainage Strategy. Under this plan the Murray Darling Basin
Commission has set up a number of projects aimed at reducing the
causes and effects of salinity. It was necessary to come up with a
number of different types of projects, because the causes and
effects of salinity differ across the Murray Valley. Some of the
different methods being used to reduce salinity are as follows:
• In grazing areas in the west of the Murray Valley farmers are
being encouraged to replant natural vegetation in areas
The Murray Valley is one of Australia’s most important agricultural
affected by dryland salinity and to increase plant growth by
areas. It produces fresh and dried fruits, rice, wine, vegetables,
reducing the sizes of herds.
beef and dairy products. Irrigation has played an important role in
the development of agriculture in the Murray Valley. Towns such as • In irrigation areas, ground water is being pumped out and
Shepparton and Mildura in Victoria, Deniliquin and Wentworth in stored in basins. This lowers the water table. The stored
New South Wales and Berri and Renmark in South Australia grew water is allowed to evaporate and the salt that is left is
mainly because of irrigation agriculture. When irrigation was ‘harvested’ for use in industry.
introduced to the Murray Valley, however, few people realised that • Irrigation framers are being encouraged to use water more
salinity would be a problem. wisely by paying a higher price for their water. In the past,
farmers received water at a price that was much lower than
What was also unknown in the early days was that the Murray the cost to the government of providing it.
Valley was once covered by sea water. Millions of years ago, the • Local communities are being educated about sustainable
sea extended from the area that is now the mouth of the Murray, agriculture techniques.
near Adelaide, inland into New South Wales and Victoria. When the • Membership of local Landcare groups is encouraged
sea level fell and the ‘inland’ sea was gone, a thick bed of salty se
sand was left in its place. In addition, winds blowing from the Great
Australian Bight carried large amounts of salt inland and deposited
them. Over the years the salt was covered by sediment (sand and
 Salinity
1. What is salinity?
     

2. Salinity can be classified into different types

Describe:
(a) Dry salinity
     

(b)Irrigation salinity
     

3. Identify an Australian aquatic ecosystem affected by salinity. Describe the area

and what it is used for
     

4. Describe the human activities (both past and present) that have caused salinity in
the area
     
 5. Outline the impact of this human activity.
Describe why salinity is a problem for:
(a) farmers

     

(b) people in Adelaide

     

(c) the Australian economy

     

6. Outline TWO measures taken to manage or rehabilitate the area

     
Syllabus dot point: analyse information from secondary sources to outline the relationships between rainfall and types of Australian ecosystems

Australia’s Ecosystems
Have you been to the Australian outback? If so, you would have noticed a large
difference between the plants in the outback compared to those on the coast. What do
you think causes these ecosystems to be so different?
If you answer was ‘the amount of rain they receive’, you were correct, however this is
only one factor affecting ecosystems. Others are soil, aspect, topography, sunlight, cloud
cover, temperature, animals and many more.
In this section, you will learn about the different ecosystems of Australia and their
various water requirements.

1. Use the diagrams of Australia’s ecosystems and Australia’s annual rainfall to

determine what rainfall is mostly associated with each ecosystem (low, medium and
high).

Desert      
Grassland      
Shrubland      
Woodland      
Forest      
2. The table below outlines the characteristics for each type of ecosystem shown in the
diagram. Fill in the missing information in the annual rainfall column for each ecosystem.

Ecosystem Vegetation Annual rainfall Temperature

saltbush
desert grasses       high
bluebush
spinafex
temperate or
grassland grasses      
tropical
herbs
mallee
shrubland mulga       high
brigalow
box trees
temperate or
woodland colabah      
tropical
shrubs
jarra
forest (rainforest
bluegum
and sclerophyll       warm temperate
stringy bark
forest)
karri

3. Fill in the final word(s) for each sentence.

a) A typical forest plant is      
b) Woodland’s temperature is      
c) Spinafex, herbs and grasses all belong to a      
d) Desert ecosystems mainly exist in the middle of      
e) A forest’s annual rainfall is      
d) Two vegetation types of deserts are      
e) Coolabahs and box trees belong to      
f) Rainfall in woodland is      
g) An ecosystem that requires low rainfall with a temperate or tropical climate is      
h) Jarra and stringy bark require rainfalls that are      

4. Use the information above on Australia’s ecosystems to complete the following

exercise.
a) Colour in or shade the areas of Australia below that match each of the ecosystem
types.
b) List the common plant species found in each ecosystem in the boxes provided.
c) Record the rainfall for each box.
d) Record the temperature for each box.

The desert ecosystem has been done for you as a guide.

Syllabus dot point: outline one local, State or Federal Government policy on water-related issues in relation to increasing problems with water supplies
across NSW
www.sydneywater.com.au
Water Wise Rules
1. (a) When were level 1 water restrictions introduced and why?
     

(b) When were level 2 water restrictions introduced and why?

     

(c) When were level 3 water restrictions introduced and why?

     

2. We no longer have water restrictions but water wise rules. Outline these rules and
the reason for their introduction.
     

3. Which level of government (Local, State or Federal) has imposed the restrictions?
     

4. To which areas do the restrictions apply?

     

5. What are the consequences for NOT following the restrictions?