WATER ENVIRONMENT

All living organisms need water to grow and survive. In an ecosystem, water cycles
through the atmosphere, soil, rivers, lakes, and oceans. In addition, water is also one of the vital
elements needed in our day to day activities as a living being. We use water for numerous
household task such s cooking, bathing, cleaning, and drinking; but how often do we think about
its source? Where does our water come from? How is it treated? How do we know if it is safe to
drink and use?

WHAT IS WATER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

Water for the environment is the portion of total water resources in a given system that
sustains the water dependent ecosystem assets and the ecological processes that define the health
of that system.
For surface water systems, water for the environment is not simply a matter of quantity, it is a
regime defined by the quantity, timing, and quality of water required to sustain freshwater and
estuarine ecosystems and the human livelihoods and well-being that depend on these ecosystems
(Brisbane Declaration 2017). On the other hand, it is well recognized that the health of
groundwater systems depends not just on water quantity but also on the timing, quality and
location of water (Murray et al 2003).

WHY IS WATER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IMPORTANT?

Water abstractions of any volume have an impact on the health of a system and so have
the potential to compromise natural assets and ecosystem processes. When surface and
groundwater systems experience alterations to natural water movement, distribution,
temperature, or quality, assets and ecosystems are impacted. Water abstractions of any volume
change natural systems, often in significant ways. Large or poorly timed abstractions from a
single system can reduce groundwater infiltration, lower water tables, lead to the closure of river
mouths, isolate river pools, destroy mangroves and wetland habitats, prevent fish spawning and
migration, reduce carbon cycling and increase pollution loads, and lead to salt water intrusion
(Hirji and Davis 2009). Even relatively small abstractions, or reversals of the flow regime, can be
highly disruptive to ecosystems and ecosystem functioning.

THE ROLE OF WATER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Water for the environment is an important tool to ensure natural systems survive and
thrive for the benefit of all. There are key roles water do for our environment and these are:
• Water for the environment helps to restore a more natural flow regime to rivers, creeks and
wetlands.
• Water for the environment is used to target specific outcomes for plants or animals
• It is a critical tool to support the health of rivers and wetlands and in doing so support the
communities that rely on them.

IMPORTANCE OF WATER IN HUMAN LIFE

 • Water carries nutrients to all cells in our body and oxygen to our brain
• Water allows the body to absorb and assimilate minerals, vitamins, amino acids, glucose
and other substances
• Water flushes out toxins and waste
• Water helps to regulate body temperature
• Water acts as a lubricant for joints and muscles

SOURCES OF WATER
There are two major sources of water which are surface water and groundwater. Surface Water is
found in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Groundwater lies under the surface of the land, where it
travels through and fills openings in the rocks.
OTHER SOURCES
 Rainwater
 Snow melts

SURFACE WATER
• Open wells
• Tube wells
• Artesian wells
• Springs
• Infiltration

GROUND WATER
• Lakes
• Streams
• Ponds
• Rivers
• Storage Reservoir

THE WATER CYCLE

• EVAPORATION- the process of turning from liquid into vapor.
• CONDENSATION - water that collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is
in contact with it.
• PRECIPITATION - The action or process of precipitating a substance from a solution.
• TRANSPIRATION - is the process where plants absorb water through the roots and
then give off water vapor through pores in their leaves. An example of transpiration is
when a plant absorbs water in its roots.

REFERENCES
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/17985HLPWGuideManagingWaterEn
vironment.pdf
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/water/water-for-the-environment/about-water-for-
the-environment/what-is-it/why-do-we-need-it?
fbclid=IwAR0g_M3mrgeS5L0l0ZQJ0F7oIJOebsBjNN91NokG2tb_3qH59lvcwKF_0-Y
https://www.slideshare.net/CzarinaRamirez/water-environment-107961253?
fbclid=IwAR0oUQ0HB00ulpLKZWUMmdLCKkL-D5-YvvWFvE_fj1Vkif05IcWMcGM7_-k
https://www.efbw.org/index.php?id=46

WATER POLLUTION
What is water pollution?

Water pollution happens when toxic substances enter water bodies such as lakes, rivers,
oceans and so on, getting dissolved in them, lying suspended in the water or depositing on the
bed. This degrades the quality of water.

Not only does this spell disaster for aquatic ecosystems, the pollutants also seep through
and reach the groundwater, which might end up in our households as contaminated water we use
in our daily activities, including drinking.

Water pollution occurs when harmful substances—often chemicals or microorganisms—

contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality
and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment.

Categories of Water Pollution

Groundwater
When rain falls and seeps deep into the earth, filling the cracks, crevices, and porous
spaces of an aquifer (basically an underground storehouse of water), it becomes groundwater—
one of our least visible but most important natural resources. Nearly 40 percent of Americans
rely on groundwater, pumped to the earth’s surface, for drinking water. For some folks in rural
areas, it’s their only freshwater source. Groundwater gets polluted when contaminants—from
pesticides and fertilizers to waste leached from landfills and septic systems—make their way into
an aquifer, rendering it unsafe for human use. Ridding groundwater of contaminants can be
difficult to impossible, as well as costly. Once polluted, an aquifer may be unusable for decades,
or even thousands of years. Groundwater can also spread contamination far from the original
polluting source as it seeps into streams, lakes, and oceans.

Surface water
Covering about 70 percent of the earth, surface water is what fills our oceans, lakes,
rivers, and all those other blue bits on the world map. Surface water from freshwater sources
(that is, from sources other than the ocean) accounts for more than 60 percent of the water
delivered to American homes. But a significant pool of that water is in peril. According to the
most recent surveys on national water quality from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
nearly half of our rivers and streams and more than one-third of our lakes are polluted and unfit
for swimming, fishing, and drinking. Nutrient pollution, which includes nitrates and phosphates,
is the leading type of contamination in these freshwater sources. While plants and animals need
these nutrients to grow, they have become a major pollutant due to farm waste and fertilizer
runoff. Municipal and industrial waste discharges contribute their fair share of toxins as well.
There’s also all the random junk that industry and individuals dump directly into waterways.

Ocean water
Eighty percent of ocean pollution (also called marine pollution) originates on land—
whether along the coast or far inland. Contaminants such as chemicals, nutrients, and heavy
metals are carried from farms, factories, and cities by streams and rivers into our bays and
estuaries; from there they travel out to sea. Meanwhile, marine debris—particularly plastic—is
blown in by the wind or washed in via storm drains and sewers. Our seas are also sometimes
spoiled by oil spills and leaks—big and small—and are consistently soaking up carbon pollution
from the air. The ocean absorbs as much as a quarter of man-made carbon emissions.

Point source
When contamination originates from a single source, it’s called point source pollution.
Examples include wastewater (also called effluent) discharged legally or illegally by a
manufacturer, oil refinery, or wastewater treatment facility, as well as contamination from
leaking septic systems, chemical and oil spills, and illegal dumping. The EPA regulates point
source pollution by establishing limits on what can be discharged by a facility directly into a
body of water. While point source pollution originates from a specific place, it can affect miles
of waterways and ocean.

Nonpoint source
Nonpoint source pollution is contamination derived from diffuse sources. These may
include agricultural or stormwater runoff or debris blown into waterways from land.

Transboundary
It goes without saying that water pollution can’t be contained by a line on a map.
Transboundary pollution is the result of contaminated water from one country spilling into the
waters of another. Contamination can result from a disaster—like an oil spill—or the slow,
downriver creep of industrial, agricultural, or municipal discharge.

Types of water pollutants

Agricultural
 Not only is the agricultural sector the biggest consumer of global freshwater resources,
with farming and livestock production using about 70 percent of the earth’s surface water
supplies, but it’s also a serious water polluter. Around the world, agriculture is the leading cause
of water degradation. In the United States, agricultural pollution is the top source of
contamination in rivers and streams, the second-biggest source in wetlands, and the third main
source in lakes. It’s also a major contributor of contamination to estuaries and groundwater.
Every time it rains, fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste from farms and livestock operations
wash nutrients and pathogens—such bacteria and viruses—into our waterways. Nutrient
pollution, caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in water or air, is the number-one threat to
water quality worldwide and can cause algal blooms, a toxic soup of blue-green algae that can be
harmful to people and wildlife.

Sewage and wastewater

Used water is wastewater. It comes from our sinks, showers, and toilets (think sewage)
and from commercial, industrial, and agricultural activities (think metals, solvents, and toxic
sludge). The term also includes stormwater runoff, which occurs when rainfall carries road salts,
oil, grease, chemicals, and debris from impermeable surfaces into our waterways

More than 80 percent of the world’s wastewater flows back into the environment without
being treated or reused, according to the United Nations; in some least-developed countries, the
figure tops 95 percent. In the United States, wastewater treatment facilities process about 34
billion gallons of wastewater per day. These facilities reduce the amount of pollutants such as
pathogens, phosphorus, and nitrogen in sewage, as well as heavy metals and toxic chemicals in
industrial waste, before discharging the treated waters back into waterways. That’s when all goes
well. But according to EPA estimates, our nation’s aging and easily overwhelmed sewage
treatment systems also release more than 850 billion gallons of untreated wastewater each year.

Oil pollution
Big spills may dominate headlines, but consumers account for the vast majority of oil
pollution in our seas, including oil and gasoline that drips from millions of cars and trucks every
day. Moreover, nearly half of the estimated 1 million tons of oil that makes its way into marine
environments each year comes not from tanker spills but from land-based sources such as
factories, farms, and cities. At sea, tanker spills account for about 10 percent of the oil in waters
around the world, while regular operations of the shipping industry—through both legal and
illegal discharges—contribute about one-third. Oil is also naturally released from under the
ocean floor through fractures known as seeps.

Radioactive substances
Radioactive waste is any pollution that emits radiation beyond what is naturally released
by the environment. It’s generated by uranium mining, nuclear power plants, and the production
and testing of military weapons, as well as by universities and hospitals that use radioactive
materials for research and medicine. Radioactive waste can persist in the environment for
thousands of years, making disposal a major challenge. Consider the decommissioned Hanford
nuclear weapons production site in Washington, where the cleanup of 56 million gallons of
radioactive waste is expected to cost more than $100 billion and last through 2060. Accidentally
released or improperly disposed of contaminants threaten groundwater, surface water, and
marine resources.

What Are the Effects of Water Pollution?

On human health
In fact, it caused 1.8 million deaths in 2015, according to a study published in The
Lancet. Contaminated water can also make you ill. Every year, unsafe water sickens about 1
billion people. And low-income communities are disproportionately at risk because their homes
are often closest to the most polluting industries.

Waterborne pathogens, in the form of disease-causing bacteria and viruses from human
and animal waste, are a major cause of illness from contaminated drinking water. Diseases
spread by unsafe water include cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Even in wealthy nations, accidental
or illegal releases from sewage treatment facilities, as well as runoff from farms and urban areas,
contribute harmful pathogens to waterways. Thousands of people across the United States are
sickened every year by Legionnaires’ disease (a severe form of pneumonia contracted from
water sources like cooling towers and piped water), with cases cropping up from California’s
Disneyland to Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Even swimming can pose a risk. Every year, 3.5 million Americans contract health issues such as
skin rashes, pinkeye, respiratory infections, and hepatitis from sewage-laden coastal waters,
according to EPA estimates.

On the environment
In order to thrive, healthy ecosystems rely on a complex web of animals, plants, bacteria,
and fungi—all of which interact, directly or indirectly, with each other. Harm to any of these
organisms can create a chain effect, imperiling entire aquatic environments.

When water pollution causes an algal bloom in a lake or marine environment, the
proliferation of newly introduced nutrients stimulates plant and algae growth, which in turn
reduces oxygen levels in the water. This dearth of oxygen, known as eutrophication, suffocates
plants and animals and can create “dead zones,” where waters are essentially devoid of life. In
certain cases, these harmful algal blooms can also produce neurotoxins that affect wildlife, from
whales to sea turtles.
 Chemicals and heavy metals from industrial and municipal wastewater contaminate
waterways as well. These contaminants are toxic to aquatic life—most often reducing an
organism’s life span and ability to reproduce—and make their way up the food chain as predator
eats prey. That’s how tuna and other big fish accumulate high quantities of toxins, such as
mercury.

Marine ecosystems are also threatened by marine debris, which can strangle, suffocate,
and starve animals. Much of this solid debris, such as plastic bags and soda cans, gets swept into
sewers and storm drains and eventually out to sea, turning our oceans into trash soup and
sometimes consolidating to form floating garbage patches. Discarded fishing gear and other
types of debris are responsible for harming more than 200 different species of marine life.

Meanwhile, ocean acidification is making it tougher for shellfish and coral to survive.
Though they absorb about a quarter of the carbon pollution created each year by burning fossil
fuels, oceans are becoming more acidic. This process makes it harder for shellfish and other
species to build shells and may impact the nervous systems of sharks, clownfish, and other
marine life.

REFERENCES:
https://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know

WATER TREATMENT

Water Treatment – use of physical, chemical, biological, and combinations of the three to treat
and remove contaminants and harmful substances from fresh water.
Physical Treatments:
• Filtration
• Sedimentation
• Distillation
Chemical Treatments:
• Flocculation
• Chlorination
• Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR)
Biological Treatment:
• Slow-sand filter
• Biologically active carbon
Water Treatment: Metropolitan Waterwork and Sewage System
1.) Screening
Surface water (water from Angat Dam and Ipo Dam) often contains large debris, such as sticks,
logs, leaves, fish, and trash. These objects can clog the water-treatment system and therefore
must removed before the water enters the treatment plant. As the water enters the facility’s
tunnels and aqueducts, the large debris is removed. These screens, however, must be cleaned
periodically to remove any objects that have become stuck and prevent the screen from
becoming clogged and impeding water flow into the facility.
2.) Pre-Chlorination (Disinfection)
This step effectively kills any organisms (pathogens) in the water that may maybe harmful to
humans. This is done through the addition of chorine, and is repeated after all other treatment
sequences to ensure the destruction such organisms.
3.) Rapid Mixing
As the first step in which the water is being treated, this involves intense vigorous mixing and
promotes the dispersion of coagulation chemicals (Aluminum Sulfate and Polymer) in the raw
water.
A series of chemical reactions occur to begin the formation of a “floc”, which is a cluster of
coagulative chemicals and impurities, such as suspended solids and organic matter. The intensity
of the mixing is then reduced, allowing well-defined pinhead-sized particles of floc to begin to
form.
4.) Flocculation
These small non-rigid particles are made to come in contact and agglomerate with one another
by mixing the water. When the agglomeration of the particles gets large enough, the aggregate
will then settle in still water by sedimentation.
The larger particles continue to combine, or flocculate, into much larger and heavier particles.
These particles become too heavy to float and begin to sink and settle.
5.) Coagulation
Aluminum sulfate is added to the water entering the plant. The water is mixed, rapidly at first
and then more slowly as the process continues. Mixing causes lightweight particles in the
chemically treated to clump together, or coagulate, into much larger particles.
6.) Sedimentation
When water is allowed to sit, heavy suspended particles, such as sand, will settle to the bottom
over time, as they are denser than water. The water, now free of the suspended impurities, can be
collected from the top without disturbing the layer of sediment at the bottom, which is eventually
discarded.
7.) Filtration
In this process, water containing solid impurities is passed through a porous medium, typically
layers of sand and gravel pieces. The solids formed from precipitation get stuck in the pores, and
are thus removed from the water as it passes through the porous medium. The water that remains
at the bottom of the filter no longer contains those solid impurities.
8.) Disinfection
In many water supplies, the most serious health threats are posed not by chemicals, but by
infectious organisms, such as bacteria, in the water. Chlorine (CI2) is a major disinfectant that is
affordable and kills most of the serious disease-causing bacteria in the water. Other methods are
also employed to remove the organisms, including through coagulation, sedimentation, and
filtration

REFERENCES:
http://mwss.gov.ph/learn/how-water-is-being-processed/
https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/public/water_treatment.html

REVIEW PAPER

Title: Systems Analysis and Modelling of Pollution Loading for Management of

Calumpang River in Batangas City, Philippines

Abstract:
The whole stretch of Calumpang River in Batangas province, Philippines is being considered for
ecotourism development by the Batangas City government. Water quality of this river, however,
falls under the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR’s)
classification as Class D – suitable only for agricultural and industrial purposes. Restoration to
Class B is needed for the river to qualify for Recreational Water Use. This resource management
concern needs to be addressed by the involved local government units (LGUs). Using systems
analysis and modeling, a study on pollution loading of Calumpang River is conducted to
generate information that will aid policymakers in crafting management options for the
restoration. Factors, relationships, and processes involving people, land uses, and management
practices that led to its current polluted state are identified and analyzed using the conceptual
framework of the river system. Pollution contributions are identified and quantified. Analytical
Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographic Information System (GIS) are used in determining
who should be responsible and accountable for the restoration and management of this water
resource. Results showed that agricultural activities are the major contributor to the degradation
of water quality in Calumpang River. Swine production, in particular, loads as much as 16,990
kg of solid waste daily. Using the physico-chemical and socio-economic characteristics and their
pollution loading contribution as a basis in determining the degree of accountability, results
showed that Batangas and Lipa cities have the highest level of accountability with an AHP value
of 0.24, followed by Rosario (0.15), Ibaan (0.14), and San Jose (0.10). Establishment of a
governing body as a management option can be recommended using the results of the study as a
basis for determining the financial contribution of the accountable municipalities and the number
of their representatives in the governing body.

REFERENCE:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320224636_Systems_Analysis_and_Modelling_of_Pol
lution_Loading_for_Management_of_Calumpang_River_in_Batangas_City_Philippines
Title: Impacts of the Livestock Industry on the Groundwater Quality of Batangas City,
Batangas, Philippines

Abstract:
Subsurface water that occurs beneath a water table in soils and rocks, or in geological
formations is referred to as groundwater. It provides a high percentage for domestic water
supply particularly for drinking. In Batangas City, the 105 barangays source their water from
either the Batangas City Water District (BCWD) that maintains 25 groundwater wells or
from the different Rural Waterworks that have their own pumps. Since recharge to the
groundwater occurs via rainwater infiltration and seepage from rivers and lakes, water
contamination from domestic wastewater, agricultural run-off and industrial effluents enters
the same way. Thus, in areas where such sources of possible contaminants are highly
concentrated, it is very important to monitor the groundwater quality as a measure to protect
environmental health. The city is host to a very productive and intensive livestock industry that
includes swine, cattle, carabao, goat and horse. It is among the city’s major sources of
income with an estimated total population of 137,555 heads for swine alone in 2013. The
pollutant of concern from this industry is nitrate (NO3-) from the generated manure since it
poses a great health risk to humans, which in particular can cause methemoglobinemia or
the “blue baby syndrome”. Initial results indicate that the NO3--N concentration in
Batangas City’s groundwater wells are still within the Philippine National Standards for
Drinking Water (50 mg/L) of the Department of Health as well as the United States
Environmental Protection Agency’s Critical Level (10 mg/L). We present suggestions on why
the groundwater quality remains good despite the poor surface water conditions in the area
and suggest management options for the continued protection of this promising
environmental health indicator.

REFERENCE:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316989702_Impacts_of_the_Livestock_Industry_on_th
e_Groundwater_Quality_of_Batangas_City_Batangas_Philippines

Title: On the Treatment Trains for Municipal Wastewater Reuse for Irrigation
Authors: Djamel Ghernaout, Noureddine Elboughdiri

Abstract:
Traditional urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTPs) are badly efficient in eliminating most
contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), comprising antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria
and antibiotic resistance genes (ARB & ARGs). Such pollutants induce some worry for nature
and human health, especially if UWTPs effluents are reused for crop irrigation. In all probability,
traditional UWTPs will need extra advanced treatment stages to satisfy water quality limits for
wastewater reuse. Recently, Rizzo and his co-workers published an excellent review that aims to
suggest potential advanced treatment solutions, especially concerning the elimination of CECs
and ARB & ARGs. They deeply assessed the performance of the best available technologies
(BATs) for domestic wastewater treatment to decrease CECs and ARB & ARGs. Especially,
they evaluated ozonation, activated carbon adsorption, chemical disinfection, UV radiation,
advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and membrane filtration focusing on their capacity to
efficiently eliminate CECs and ARB & ARGs, as well as their benefits and disadvantages. This
work focuses on likely treatment trains involving the aforesaid BATs. As concluded by Rizzo et
al. [1] a one advanced treatment technique is not enough to reduce the liberation of chemical
CECs and ARB & ARGs and make wastewater reuse for crop irrigation safer; however, an
impertinent integration of them and an appropriate controlling program would be needed. There
is no miraculous BAT for treating wastewater for water reuse in agriculture. An appropriate
combination of many techniques would be suggested following each case.

Title: Researches on Water Pollution: A Review

Author: Anil K Dwivedi

Abstract:
More than 70% of the fresh water in liquid form of our country is converted into being unfit for
consumption. Not only India, but other countries are also suffering from the same problem.
This has been explained clearly by the help of considerable number of references in this paper.
Various sources of pollution such as sewage discharge, industrial effluents and agricultural
runoff and their potential has been studied in mass. Various prescribed standards for different
category of inland water have been explained. The paper also consists of the potential and
extent of various components which pollute the water. Finally, effect of water pollution has
been shown in nutshell.

Republic of the Philippines

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Pablo Borbon Main II, Alangilan, Batangas City,
College of Engineering, Architecture, & Fine Arts
www.batstate-u.edu.ph Telefax: (043) 300-4404 locs. 106-118
Chemical and Food Engineering Department

ENGG 413:
 Environmental Science and Engineering

WATER ENVIRONMENT AND TREATMENT

Prepared By:

Castillo, Crizelle
Latade,Jennelyn
Lopez, Trisha
Macalalad, Arriza Millene
Macalalad, Jefferson
Macatangay, Sandra

Noted By:

Mrs. Eufronia Magundayao

Course Instructor

MARCH 2019