EnE 301: ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

2.0 Water Quality Management

2.1 Overview of Water Bodies and Water Classification 2.2 Water Pollutants and their Sources 2.3 Water Quality Management in Rivers and Lakes 2.4 Water Quality Assessment of Philippine Water Bodies 2.5 Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004- RA9275

Introduction to Water Quality Management

The uses we make of water in lakes, rivers, ponds, and streams is greatly influenced by the quality of the water found in them.

Water quality management is concerned with the control of pollution from human activity so that the water is not degraded to the point that it is no longer suitable for intended uses. Thus water quality management is a science of knowing how much is too much for a particular water body.

The main objectives are to protect the intended uses of a water body while using water as an economic means of waste disposal within the constraints of its assimilative capacity, restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of nations waters, protect and propagate fish, shellfish and wildlife and provide for recreation in and out of the water.
To know how much waste can be tolerated (or assimilated) by a water body, we must know the type of pollutants discharged and the manner in which they affect water quality.

We must know how water quality is affected by natural factors such as mineral heritage of the watershed, the geometry of the terrain, and the climate of the region.

Water Pollutants and Their Sources

Point Sources

Domestic sewage and industrial wastes are called point sources because they are generally collected by a network of pipes and conveyed to a single point of discharge into the receiving water.

Point source pollution can be reduced or eliminated through waste minimization and proper wastewater treatment prior to discharge to a natural body. Non-Point Sources

Urban and agricultural runoff are characterized by multiple discharge points. Much of the non-point source pollution occurs during rainstorms resulting in large flow rates that make treatment even more difficult.

Reduction of agricultural non-point source pollution generally requires changes in land use practices and improved education.

Figure: Major pollutant categories and principal sources of pollutants

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Oxygen Demanding Material Anything that can be oxidized in the receiving water with the consumption of dissolved molecular oxygen is termed oxygen-demanding material. Usually biodegradable organic matter but also includes certain inorganic compounds. The consumption of dissolved oxygen (DO) poses a threat to fish and other higher forms of aquatic life that must have oxygen to live. Oxygen-demanding materials in domestic sewage come primarily from human waste and food residue as well as from industries like food processing and paper making. Almost any naturally occurring organic matter, such as animal droppings, crop residues, or leaves, which get into the water from non-point sources, contribute to the depletion of DO. Nutrients Nitrogen and phosphorous, two nutrients of primary concern, are considered pollutants. All living things require these nutrients for growth and they should be present in rivers and lakes to support natural food chain.

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However, when nutrient levels become excessive and the food web is grossly disturbed, which causes some organisms to proliferate at the expense of others. Excessive nutrients often lead to large growths of algae, which in turn become oxygen-demanding material when they die. Some major sources of nutrients are phosphorous-based detergents, fertilizers, and food-processing wastes. Pathogenic Organisms Microorganisms found in wastewater include bacteria, viruses, and protozoa excreted by diseased persons or animals. When discharged in surface waters, they make water nonpotable and if concentration is sufficiently high, the water may also be unsafe for fishing and swimming. Certain shellfish can be toxic because they concentrate pathogenic organisms in their tissues. Suspended Solids Organic and inorganic particles that are carried by the wastewater into a receiving water are termed suspended solids.

When the speed of the water is reduced by flowing into a lake, many of these particles settle to the bottom as sediment. It includes eroded soil particles carried by water. Colloidal particles, which do not settle readily, cause turbidity found in many surface waters. Organic suspended solids may also exert an oxygen demand. Inorganic suspended solids are discharged by some industries but result mostly from soil erosion, which is particularly bad in areas of logging, strip mining, and construction activity. As excessive sediment loads are deposited into lakes and reservoirs, the usefulness of the water is reduced. In streams, sediment from mining and logging operations destroy many living places for aquatic organisms. Salts Although most people associate salty water with oceans and salt lakes, all water contains some salt. Problem arises when the salt concentration in normally fresh water increases to the point where the natural population of plants and animals is threatened or the water is no longer useful for public water supplies or irrigation.

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Salts are often measured by evaporation of a filtered water sample. The salts and other things that dont evaporate are called total dissolved solids (TDS). High concentration of salts are discharged by many industries. In irrigation, water picks up salt every time it passes through the soil on its way back to the river. Toxic Metals and Toxic Organic Compounds. Agricultural runoff often contains pesticides and herbicides that have been used in crops. Urban runoff is a major source of zinc in water bodies. Zinc comes from tire wear. Many industrial wastewaters contain either toxic metals or toxic organic substances that if discharged in large quantities, may render a body of water nearly useless. Many toxic compounds are concentrated in the food chain, making fish and shellfish unsafe for human consumption. Heat Higher water temperatures disposed by industries increase the rate of oxygen depletion in areas where oxygen demanding wastes are present. Also, many commercial fish live only in cool water.

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