groundwater and fracking (trinidad and virgina u.s.a case study)
TRANSCRIPT
WHAT IS GROUND WATER?
• It Is A Chemical Substance That Is Composed Of Two (2) Hydrogen Atoms And
One (1) Oxygen Atom.
• It Is Stored In Microscopic Pores/Spaces, Known As Capillary Water, In Rocks
And Soil Beneath The Surface Of The Earth
• Groundwater Originates From Precipitation, Melting Snow And Ice
WHERE IS GROUNDWATER FOUND?
• It Is Found Almost Everywhere; Beneath Hills, Mountains, Plains, And Deserts All
Over The World
• It Occurs When Water Infiltrates The Soil
• Percolation Enables The Water To Constantly Move Through Pores In The Soil
• The Water Table, The Boundary Between Saturated And Unsaturated Soil, Is The
1st Level Of Groundwater Storage
• At the 2nd Level Of Groundwater, The Aquifer Is Usually Fully Saturated By The
Surface Water
• Both Levels Of The Aquifer, Confined And Unconfined Layers Are Fully Saturated
** The Amount Of Ground Water In The Soil Depends On The Size Of The Soil
Particles
** The Water Table May Vary In Height
WHY IS GROUNDWATER IMPORTANT?
• Nearly 70% Of The World’s Freshwater Is Made Up Of Groundwater, Lakes,
Streams And Rivers Are Made Up Of 0.2% Of Water And 30% Or Less Is Bounded
Up In Snow, Ice On Mountains In Polar Regions.
• Almost All The Water That Is Used For Agriculture , Industry And Drinking Water
Is Or Has Been Groundwater At Some Point In The Water Cycle.
WHY IS GROUNDWATER IMPORTANT?
• Groundwater Supports Rivers, Grasslands And Deserts, During The Drier Months
When There Is Little Rainfall.
• The Quality Of Groundwater Is Very Good And It Usually Requires Much Less
Treatment Than River Water To Be Safe For Drinking Purposes. This Is Because
Of The Soil And Rocks Through Which The Groundwater Flows Helps To Remove
Pollutants.
• It Has Been Considered A Dependable Source Of Uncontaminated Water
WHERE DOES THE WATER IN THE AQUIFER COME FROM ?
• Some Sources Of Groundwater Are :
1. Precipitation
2. Surface Water (Rivers, Ponds Etc.)
3. Stemflow
4. Springs
HOW CAN GROUNDWATER BE EXTRACTED?
• Wells
• Mechanical/Manual Water Pumps
• Natural Capillary Action
HOW IS GROUNDWATER USED IN OUR LIVES?
Because The Quality Of Ground Water Is Cleaner Than Bodies Of Water On The
Surface It May Be Used In The Following Ways;
• 1.Environmentally Eg: Aquatic Life /Wetlands /Lakes /Streams /Wildlife
• 2.Residentially Eg: Drinking /Watering Plants /Laundry
• 3.Industrial Eg: Agriculture /Paper Industry /Food Processing
• 4.Business Eg: Restaurants /Hotels / Resorts
POLLUTION OF GROUNDWATER IN TRINIDAD
• Groundwater Contamination Occurs When Man-made Products Get Into The
Groundwater System And Cause It To Become Unsafe And Unfit For Use
POTENTIAL SOURCES OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION
• Groundwater May Be Polluted Due To Its Possible Connection In The Water
Continuum With Surface Water.
1. Storage Tanks: The Groundwater May Be Impaired By Some Or All The Pollutants In
The Surface Water As Long As They Are Discharged Or Leached Directly Into Areas
Or Close To Where They Can Infiltrate An Aquifer.
POLLUTION OF GROUNDWATER IN TRINIDAD
2. LANDFILLS: Leaching From Open Dumps And Sanitary Landfills Is One Of The Main
Threats To Groundwater Quality Such As At Beetham And Guanapo (The Northern
Gravels), Forres Park And Studley Park ( The Local Water Table).
3. SEPTIC SYSTEMS : Onsite Wastewater Disposal Systems Used By Homes, Offices Or
Other Buildings That Are Not Connected To A City Sewer System. Septic Systems
Are Designed To Slowly Drain Away Human Waste Underground
4. CHEMICALS AND ROAD SALTS: The widespread use of chemicals and road salts is
another source of potential groundwater contamination. Chemicals include
products used on lawns and farm fields to kill weeds and insects and to fertilize
plants, and other products used in homes and businesses
MAN’S IMPACT ON GROUNDWATER
Negative Impacts Positive Impacts
1. May lead to liquefaction if overused
1. Provides clean water to remote areas
2. Industrial pollution 2. Provides room for more to be stored
3. Leaching by littering 3. Farmers have a cheap water supply
4. Water pollution by fracking
WHAT IS FRACKING?
• Fracking Is The Process Of Drilling Into The Earth, And A High-pressure Mixture
Of Water, Sand And Chemicals Are Pumped Into Wells. This Allows The Gas To
Flow Out To The Head Of The Well, The Extensive Use Of Fracking In The US,
Where It Has Revolutionised The Energy Industry, Has Prompted Many
Environmental Environmental Concerns.
1. That Fracking Uses Huge Amounts Of Water That Must Be Transported To The
Fracking Site, At Significant Environmental Cost.
2. The Second Is The Worry That Potentially Carcinogenic Chemicals Used May Escape
And Contaminate Groundwater Around The Fracking Site.
3. There Are Also Worries That The Fracking Process Can Cause Small Earth Tremors.
GROUNDWATER UTILIZATION IN VIRGINIA, USA
• 38 Out Of The 95 Countries In Virginia Are Completely Dependent On Ground Water
According To The Us Census (1990)
• 80% Of The Water Supplied To The Population In Virginia Comes From Groundwater
• 95% Of Virginia’s Rural Areas Are Wholly Dependent On Their Own Wells For Clean
Water
• Many Towns And City Dwellers Drink Groundwater As The Vast Majority Of Public
Water Supply Systems (2300 Out Of 2500) Use Groundwater
• Many Farmers In This Community Also Utilize Groundwater (approx. 50 billion
gallons) For Their Animals And Irrigating Crops Because The Amount Of Rainfall Is
Not Sufficient
• Commercial And Industrial Businesses Also Use Water For Their Processes And
Operations Eg Franklin And West Point (Paper Processing Company)
• It Is Also Used For The Production Of Electric Power Food Beverages And Material