Water (basics)

• By how much has the UKs water useage increased

  by 70% since 1985
• why has the demand for water increased?

  • increase of household appliances - ie larger dishawashers and washign machines which use a large amount of water
  • improvements of personal hygiene - people take more showers and baths than before
  • more food is grown in greenhouses to meet demand for food which requires watering throughout the year
  • more industrial production means more water is required for cooling machinery
  • people have more leisure time so water is needed for things such as golf courses
  • the population of uk has increased
• what is the impact of more water pollution?

  • less water recources and demand exceeds supply
• what is causing an increase of water pollution?

  • more chemicals and fertalisers used on farms are being washed into rivers
  • pollution from vehichles enters water sources as run off during rain
  • chemicals and oil spills pollute water sources near factories
  • sewage is being discarded into water bodies
• what are the effects of water pollution

  • pesticides damage aquatic life
  • fertaliser run off leads to eutrophication and can kill ecosystems
  • elevated water temps harm aquatic life
  • toxic waste can contaminate animals, which may also be passed onto humans and cause health hazards in humans
  • drinking water sources are contaminated
  • microbacteria in water sources cause disease in humans and anikals
• how can water pollution in the UK be managed?

  • legislation to set boundaries of discharge from farms and factories into rivers
  • wastewater treatments must remove solid waste and microorgs so it can be safe to consume
  • investing in sewage systems to reduce overflows and spills
  • greenroofs on bildings can purify rainwater and reduce flooding
• where are areas of water deficit in the UK?

  • highly populated areas such as SE
  • SE is dry and populated
• where are areas of water surplius

  • North Wales - low pop but high annual rainfall
• why is the north and west of the uk so wet

  • upland areas
  • air moving from the west to the east has to rise above high land areas
  • in doign this, the air cools, condenses and forms clouds
  • this results in relief rainfall
• what are methods of water transfer in the UK?

  • A water transfer grid has been proposed where water is transferred through a network of pipes - very costly so has not been developed yet
  • smaller scale transfers are used instead :
  • resivoir water from north wales and lake district is transferred to cities such as manchester and liverpool
• what are the disadvantages of water transfer schemes?

  • dams and aqueducts are expensive to build
  • to build a resivoire involves flooding land which displaces people and disrupts their lives
  • dams can disrupt fish migration
  • increased traffic and noice from the construction of dams
  • wildlife in the rivers would be impacted by the downstream flow
  • more land is destoryed in order to run pipes across
• what are the advantages of water transfer schemes?

  • areas of water scarcity no longer face restrictions or bans during dry periods
  • jobs are created to construct dams and pipelines
  • resivoires offer new plant and animal habitats
  • recreational opportunities as a result of resivoires