Lecture 12: Water Quality Concepts

Question 1

What are some sources of nonpoint source pollution?

Answer 1

Soil erosion and sedimentation; Construction activities; Animal feed lots; Urban runoff; Acid mine drainage; Fallout of atmospheric pollutants; and Pesticide and fertilizer runoff

Question 2

What are some characteristics of Point Source Pollution?

Answer 2

Localized and Confined area; Concentrated Pollutants; and Easy to monitor, treat & control

Question 3

What are some characteristics for Non point Source Pollution?

Answer 3

Widespread and dispersed area; Diluted Pollutants Concentration but high volume; and More Difficult to monitor, treat and control

Question 4

List some water quality laws

Answer 4

Clean Water Act
National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems

Question 5

What does the NPDES regulate?

Answer 5

In Stream Waste Reduction; (2)Waste Recycling; (3) NPS Pollution – voluntary including Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Stormwater Ponds; and (4)Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) Estimates

Question 6

What are all under the Water Quality Criteria

Answer 6

Biological Oxygen Demand and Dissolved Oxygen, turbidity, pH, Temperature, Nutrient Levels (Ph and N); Coliform Bacteria; and Chlorine Levels

Question 7

What are some BOD sources?

Answer 7

Raw sewrage, Cannery Waste, Paper Mill Effluent and Wool Scouring Plant

Question 8

What is the BOD EPA standard for sewrage treatment plants?

Answer 8

30 mg/l

Question 9

Is COD greater than BOD?

Answer 9

Yes

Question 10

If we have a watershed with a volume of 100L, and a DO level of 10 mg/l, What is the mg/l of oxygen?

Answer 10

1000

Question 11

If our waste has a BOD of 100 mg/l and 10 liters of wast is discharged what is the DO level?

Answer 11

0 mg/l

Question 12

What is waste load allocation (Q10’s)?

Answer 12

don’t allow DO level to fall below 25% of ambient conditions during low flow, minimal oxygen conditions

Question 13

What are some impacts of the Charleston harbour NPDES permit impacts?

Answer 13

Westvaco & Bayer - were in compliance with NPDES permit 85% of the time and only minor excursions > permit limits were observed; (2) Maccalloy - never in compliance & exceeded Chromium levels by 70X permit levels. Discharge site at Shipyard Creek has 2-3 parts per thousand (highest levels in the world) levels of Cd in sediments, requiring a closure of the area for seafood consumption.

Question 14

What place has the 6th highest level of cancer risk inthe US and which has the 4th?

Answer 14

The Charleston Harbour is 6th, Savannah River has 4th.

Question 15

Explain the 3 zones of BOD impacts

Answer 15

High DO & Low BOD (above discharge) with bass, crayfish, perch, clam, stone fly nymphs; sediments have detritus overlaying sand, silt, & clay; (2) Low Oxygen Tolerant Zone (Zone 2)
- DO is partially reduced and a thin layer of sludge resides over detritus/sediments
with Garr, carp, catfish = O2 Tolerant Species; and (3) Pollution Tolerant Zone (Zone 3) - Zone of maximum impact with Bacteria , fungi, & sludge worms
along with a thick layer of sludge over bottom sediments with no benthos other than microbes and sludge worms; DO levels < 1 mg/L

Question 16

What type of animals is Total coliform for?

Answer 16

Warm blooded animals

Question 17

What type of animals is Fecal Coliform for?

Answer 17

More Human Specific

Question 18

What is the US Total shellfish acreage?

Answer 18

24,759,708 acres

Question 19

What is the SC Total shellfish acreage?

Answer 19

570,000 acres

Question 20

What are water DBP’s?

Answer 20

Chemicals used to disinfect water are associated with by-products of chlorination called DBPs including chlorine, chloramines, chlorine dioxide, and ozone.

Question 21

What are some examples of Trihalomethanes?

Answer 21

Bromoform and Chloroform, which are among the most common and widely measured DBPs.

Question 22

What are some adverse health effects of DBP’s?

Answer 22

Still Births, Neonatal deaths, birth defecrs, bladder and bone cancer

Question 23

What is the criteria for chlorine in drinking water?

Answer 23

1-2 mg/l

Question 24

Sewerage Treatment plant & ps industrial discharges

Answer 24

<0.05 mg/l

Question 25

What is a source of chlorine?

Answer 25

Chesapeake Bay

Question 26

Does dechlorination reduce chronic toxicity risk from thm’s?

Answer 26

no

Question 27

What happens at a primary treatment/ physical treatment plant.

Answer 27

Physical treatment which includes processes such as screens, filtration, settlement = reduces suspended solids by 45% and some BOD. Then waste is chlorinated and discharged or goes on to Secondary Treatment and sludge & dissolved organics are left behind;

Question 28

What happens at a secondary treatment plant/ Biological treatment?

Answer 28

–including processes such as Trickling Filter or Activated Sludge followed by Secondary Settling Tank (Clarifier). Waste is then chlorinated and discharged or passed on to Tertiary Treatment

Question 29

What happens when discharge is passed to 2nd treatment at biological treatment processes?

Answer 29

Treatment removes dissolved BOD (85-90%), some N and Ph (10-30%);

Question 30

What happens at a tertiary treatment/ chemical treatment?

Answer 30

a)Lime Flocculation - Removes Phosphorous; (b)Ammonia Stripping by changing pH to 5 – Removes Ammonia; (c)Charcoal Filtering which removes dissolved organic compounds; and (d)Chlorination and Discharge

Question 31

How much percent of STP’s are tertiary treatment? And what is an example?

Answer 31

<5%. Myrtle Beach ( STP)

Question 32

How much percent of rivers and streams are impaired?

Answer 32

35%

Question 33

How much percent of rivers and streams impaired?

Answer 33

65%

Question 34

What are some impairment causes ?

Answer 34

Siltation, Excess algae growth, DO depletion

Question 35

What are some sources of impairments in rivers?

Answer 35

Agriculture, Urban NPS run-off, Industrial Point Sources and Land disposal

Question 36

How many people in the world live without a toilet?

Answer 36

2.5 billion

Question 37

What happens every 15 seconds world wide?

Answer 37

1 person dies from a lack of clean water and sanitation