Chapter 11 Notes
Name _______________________________________
Section 1
Water is essential to life on Earth. Humans can live for more than ______ without food, but we can live
for only a few ______ without water.
Water is a ___________resource because it is circulated in the water cycle.
Although ___ percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, nearly ___ percent of Earth’s water is
_____water in oceans and seas.
Of the fresh water on Earth, about ____ percent is frozen in ________ and _________________.
The distribution of ____________ has played a vital role in the development of _______________.
Throughout history, people have built cities and farms near reliable sources of water. Today, most large
cities depend on surface water for ____________, water to __________, food such as fish, power for
_________, and __________________.
The _______________ River system is the largest river system in the world as it drains an area of land
that is nearly the size of ____________.
A ______________ is the area of land that is drained by a water system.
Most of the fresh water that is available for human use cannot be seen, as it exists ______________.
When it rains, some of the water that falls onto the land flows into lakes and streams. But much of the
water _______________ through the soil and down into the rocks beneath.
________________ is the water that is beneath the Earth’s surface.
As water travels beneath the Earth’s surface, it eventually reaches a level where the rocks and soil are
saturated with water. This level is known as the __________________.
The water table has ________ and _________ that match the shape of the land above. Groundwater
tends to flow slowly from the peaks to the valleys.
An ___________ is a body or rock or sediment that stores groundwater and allows the flow of
groundwater. They are an important water source for many cities.
The _________ forms the supper boundary of an aquifer, and most aquifers consist of materials such as
________, ________, and ________ that have a lot of spaces where water can accumulate.
Groundwater can also dissolve rock formations, filling vast caves with water, creating underground
lakes.
_____________ is the percentage of the total volume of a rock or sediment that consists of open spaces.
_____________ is the ability of a rock or sediment to let fluids pass through it open spaces or pores.
Materials such as gravel that allow the flow of water are permeable. Materials such as clay or granite
that stop the flow of water are _______________.
A hole that is dug or drilled to reach groundwater is called a _______.
The height of the water table changes __________, so wells are drilled to extend below the water table.
Section 2
When a water supply is polluted or overused, everyone living _______________ can be affected.
A shortage of clean, ___________ is one of the world’s most pressing environmental problems.
According to the World Health Organization, more than _______ people lack access to a clean, reliable
source of ______________.
There are three major uses for water: _______________ use, __________ use, and ___________ use.
Most of the fresh water used worldwide is used to ________________.
Industry accounts for about ___ percent of the water used in the world, with the highest percent
occurring in _____________ and Europe. About ___ percent of water is used by _____________.
There are striking differences in residential water use throughout the world. For example, the average
person in the United States uses about _____ L of water a day. But in India, the average person uses
only _____ L of water every day.
Daily water use in the United States
USE
Lawn watering and pools
Toilet flushing
Bathing
Brushing teeth
Cleaning (inside and out)
Cooking and drinking
Other
WATER (L)
_________ means suitable for drinking.
__________ are found in water contaminated by sewage or animal feces, but can be removed with
water treatment.
There are several methods of treating water to make it potable. A common method includes both
______________ and chemical treatment.
Industry accounts for ____ percent of water used in the world. Water is used to _____________ goods,
to dispose of __________, and to generate ____________.
Most of the water that is used in industry is used to cool _________________.
The water that is returned is usually warmer than the source, but is generally clean and can be used
again.
Agriculture accounts for ____ percent of the water used in the world. Plants require a lot of water to
grow, and as much as ____ percent of the water used in agriculture evaporates.
A _______________ is an artificial body of water that usually forms behind a dam. Water from a
reservoir can be used for flood control, drinking water, irrigation, recreation, and industry.
Hydroelectric dams use the power of flowing water to turn a turbine that generates electrical energy.
About ____ percent of the world electrical energy is generated using this method.
But, interrupting a river’s flow can have consequences. For example, when the land behind a dam is
flooded, people are displaced, and entire ecosystems can be destroyed.
To conserve water, many people water their lawns at night to reduce the amount of evaporation.
Another way some people conserve water outside the home is by ____________, or designing a
landscape that requires minimal water use.
What you can do to conserve water at home
-
In some places, conservation alone is not enough to prevent water shortages, and as populations grow,
other sources of fresh water need to be developed.
Two possible solutions are:


_____________________
_____________________
___________________is the process of removing salt from ocean water.
Because desalination consumes a lot of ___________, the process is too ______________ for many
nations to consider.
In some areas of the world where freshwater resources are not adequate, water can be transported
from other regions.
Because ____ percent of the Earth’s fresh water is frozen in icecaps, icebergs are another potential
freshwater source.
Section 3
In developing parts of the world, water pollution is a big problem because often the only water available
for drinking in these countries is polluted with sewage and agriculture runoff, which can spread
waterborne diseases.
Water pollution comes from two types of sources: ________ and ____________ sources.
When you think of water pollution, you probably think of a single source, such as a factory, a
wastewater treatment plant, or a leaking oil tanker. These are all examples of point-source pollution.
___________________ pollution is pollution that comes from a specific site.
______________ source pollution is pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single
specific site. An example is pollution that reaches a body of water from streets and storm sewers from a
specific site.
Sources of Point Pollution
Nonpoint Sources of Pollution
Pollutant Types and Sources
Type of Pollutant
Agent
Major Sources
__________________ is water that contains wastes from homes or industry.
At a wastewater treatment plant, water is filtered and treated to make the water clean enough to return
to a river or lake.
Most of the wastewater from homes contains biodegradable material that can be broken down by living
organisms.
For example, wastewater from toilets and kitchen sinks contains animal and plant wastes, paper, and
soap, all of which are biodegradable.
Most nutrients in water come from organic matter, such as leaves and animal waste, that is broken
down into mineral nutrients by _________________ such as bacteria and fungi.
Nutrients are an essential part of any aquatic ecosystem, but when lakes and slow-moving streams
contain an abundance of nutrients, they are __________________.
When organic matter builds up in a body of water, it will begin to decay and decompose. The process of
________________ uses up oxygen, and as oxygen levels decrease, the types of organisms that live in
the water change over time.
The natural process of eutrophication is accelerated when inorganic plant nutrients, such as phosphorus
and nitrogen, enter the water from sewage and fertilizer runoff.
Artificial eutrophication is a process that increases the amount of nutrients in a body of water through
human activities, such as waste disposal and land drainage.
The major causes of eutrophication are ________________ and _______________ in some laundry
detergents.
Phosphorus is a plant nutrient that can cause the excessive growth of __________.
In bodies of water polluted by phosphorus, algae can form large floating mats, called algal blooms.
_____________ pollution is a temperature increase in a body of water that is caused by human activity
and that has harmful effect on water quality and on the ability of that body of water to support life.
Thermal pollution can cause large fish kills if the discharged water is too warm for the fish to survive.
Pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizer, and petroleum products are common groundwater pollutants.
Other sources of pollution include septic tanks, unlined landfills, and industrial wastewater lagoons.
Leaking underground storage tanks are another major source of groundwater pollution because as they
age, they may develop leaks that allow pollutants to seep in to the groundwater.
But at least _____ percent of ocean pollution, including pollutants such as oil, toxic wastes, and medical
wastes, comes from activities on land, near the coasts.
Ocean water is also polluted by accidental oil spills. Each year, about ______ million gallons of oil from
tanker accidents are spilled into the ocean.
_______________________ is the accumulation of pollutants at successive levels of the food chain.
The ____________________ of 1972 was to designed to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical,
and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.”
The goal of making all surface water clean enough for fishing and swimming by 1983 was never
achieved, but much progress has been made since the act was passed.
For example, the ___________________________________________ of 1972 strengthened the laws
against ocean dumping.
Also, the _________________________ of 1990 requires all oil tankers traveling in U.S. waters to have
double hulls by 2015 as an added protection against oil spills.