ESCI 361 Water Quality
Lecture Syllabus
Spring 2014
Instructor: Peter Homann, office ES 436, phone 650-7585, Peter.Homann@wwu.edu
Office Hours: W 10-11 am, Th 1-2 pm and by appointment
Meeting time and place: Lecture TR 10:00-11:20 am, Arntzen Hall 18
Lab section 1: T 1:00-4:50 pm, ES 331
Lab section 2: W 1:00-4:50 pm, ES 331
Objectives: (1) to understand the importance of water quality, including biological, chemical
and health issues, basic laws and regulations, (2) to review factors that influence water quality,
(3) to learn common water sampling and analysis procedures, (4) to develop skills in the
collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data in standard scientific format
Evaluation, grading, and feedback:
Activity
.
% of course grade
Lecture readings, HW, participation
12%
Mid-term exam
20%
Cumulative final exam
28%
Lab activities (see lab syllabus)
40%
>96.0% A
>92.0% A-
>89.0% B+
>86.0% B
>83.0% B-
>80.0% C+
>77.0% C
>74.0% C-
>71.0% D+
>68.0% D
>65.0% D-
<65.0% F
Student lecture responsibilities:
 spend 5 hours each week outside of class on lecture readings, exercises, homework problems,
and review
 complete readings and homework problems on time
 work diligently and conscientiously
 ask questions ---- anytime except the 5 minutes before class !
 suggest course improvements
Keeping up with the material: There is a lot of material to keep in order. (1) One method to
help organize material is to develop a table with the following columns: Water quality
characteristic, definition and units, effects on characteristic, importance, interactions with other
characteristics, measurement methods, laws and regulations. Fill in the table as we complete
each characteristic. (2) Other topics include sampling, data presentation, data interpretation.
These do not fit into the table, but are important. (3) Read section 2.0 every week to see how we
are progressing through the material. (4) Work with one or two study partners to review and
discuss the material.
General lecture readings: Read these before the class period, after the class period, or both.
General readings are from three sources:

Water Quality—Basic Principles and Experimental Methods, 2014 edition, which will be
available at WWU bookstore, textbook section, approximately a week before classes start.
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
Other documents on Canvas under Files—Lecture Readings

Websites listed on the schedule below.
Follow-up lecture readings: This material provides additional examples of applications of
water quality. The material is available on Canvas under Files—Lecture Readings. Read this
material, take notes and be prepared to discuss it during the following class period.
In preparation for the discussion, from your reading notes, (1) choose the most interesting
information you learned from the reading and (2) develop a thought-provoking question. For
each reading, write these on a 4.25 x 5.5” piece of paper – this is ¼ of normal 8.5” x 11” paper.
At the top of that paper write your assigned class id number in the upper left hand corner, your
name, and the reading letter in upper right hand corner. Turn in at the beginning of the following
class period.
id
number
your name
reading
letter
(1) … most interesting info…
5.5 inches
(2) … thought-provoking question…
4.25 inches
Homework: This will be assigned on Canvas—Files—Lecture Homework
Water quality in the news, due June 5: during the quarter, collect five news articles dated
between April 1 and June 5, 2014. For each article, state the title, publication, and date; briefly
summarize the article; state one or two concepts of water quality that are exemplified in the
article, and describe how the concepts are exemplified. See Water Quality -- Basic Principles
Section 2.0 for summary of concepts. Articles read on the Web are OK. Do not print out Web
articles. Do not turn in the articles. Turn in a printed copy of your work on June 5. We will
discuss the articles in class on June 5.
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Schedule
Week Day
1
Tues
Topic
General readings from Water Quality—Basic Principles & other sources
Follow-up readings to be completed prior to the following class period
Intro, Temperature
General reading: Water Quality 1.0, 2.0, 5.11, 5.12, 5.13
Follow-up Reading:
A DOE 2007 Walla walla temperature (abstract and executive summary only)
B EPA 2013 Temp & flow best practice (p. 1-7, 16-17)
Thur
pH
General reading: Water Quality 5.21, 5.22, 5.23, Appendices VI
Follow-up Reading:
C DOE 2007 Walla walla pH and DO (abstract and executive summary only)
2
Tues
Solid residues, conductivity
General reading: Water Quality 5.31, 5.32, 5.51, 5.52, and
http://www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/understanding/param_ec.html
Follow-up Reading:
D DOE 2000 DOE-Richland waste discharge (summary on p.2. bottom of page 18 from
“In 2002…” thru 19)
Thur
Turbidity
General reading: Water Quality 5.41, 5.42, and
http://www.lakesuperiorstreams.org/understanding/param_turbidity.html
Follow-up Reading:
E DOE 2009 Mixing zones for wastewater discharge
3
Tues
Topic: Alkalinity
General reading: Water Quality 5.71, 5.72
Follow-up Reading:
F USGS 2002 World trade center dusts alkalinity
Thur
Dissolved Oxygen
General reading: Water Quality 5.81, 5.82, 5.85, Appendix VII
Follow-up Reading:
G DOE 2009 South Puget Sound Oxygen
4
Tues
More Dissolved Oxygen, Salinity
General reading: Water Quality 5.61, 5.62, Appendix IV
Data Interpretation & Presentation
General reading: Water Quality 3.4, 3.5
3
Thur
Sampling
General reading: Water Quality 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, Appendix III
Follow-up Reading:
H DOE 2009 Washington State industrial stormwater sampling guide
Coliform, Pathogens
General reading: Water Quality 6.0, 6.21, 6.22, 6.23, 6.24, Appendices V & IX
Follow-up Reading:
I DOE 2009 Samish watershed fecal coliform,
J Shuster et al 2013 jawr12036 rain barrel…
5
Tues
More Pathogens
General reading: xx EPA 2002 Regulating Microbial contaminants, on Canvas under Files—
Lecture Readings
6
Thur
Midterm Exam: Thursday May 1. Closed book. Bring calculator.
Tues
Ammonia
General reading: Water Quality 7.0, 7.11, Appendix XIII
Follow-up Reading:
K SRAC 2004 Managing ammonia in fish ponds
Chlorine
General reading: Water Quality 7.41, 7.42
Thur
Drinking Water Treatment
General reading: Water Quality 7.51, 7.52, 7.53 and
http://www.cob.org/services/utilities/water-treatment.aspx
Follow-up Reading:
L EPA 2004 understanding SDWA
Waste-water Treatment
General reading: http://www.cob.org/services/utilities/waste-water-treatment.aspx
7
Tues
BOD
General reading: Water Quality 6.11, 6.12
Follow-up Reading:
M DOE 2009 Spokane River Oxygen Shortage
Quality Control
General reading: Water Quality 3.3
Follow-up Reading:
N DOE 2010 Wa State Lab Accreditation Program (pages 5-6, 20-26)
4
Thur
Nitrate
General reading: Water Quality 7.12, 7.13
Follow-up Reading:
O USGS 2007 nitrate in LaPine Oregon
P NC SoilFacts best management
8
Tues
More nitrate
Follow-up Reading:
Q USGS 2008 Nitrates in Washington State
Metals
General reading: Water Quality 7.31, 7.32, 7.33, Appendix XII
Follow-up Reading
R EPA NPDES history and explanation
S EPA 2013 Identify lead-free plumbing materials
Thur
more Metals, Natural Organics
Follow-up Reading:
T NMFS 2007 copper and salmon (executive summary and p. 19 bottom to p. 21 top)
9
Tues
Human-influenced Organics
Follow-up Reading:
U USGS 2006 volatile organic compounds circular 1292 (pages 2-7)
V EPA 1999 Contaminant occurrence in water systems (executive summary and Table
IV.B.1 on p. 25, Table IV.C.4 on p. 29, Table IV.C.5 on p. 31, Figure IV.C.1 on p. 33. IOC
= inorganic chemical, SOC = synthetic organic chemical, VOC = volatile organic chemical)
Thur
Phosphate & Chlorophyll
General reading: Water Quality 7.21, 7.22, 6.31
Follow-up Reading:
W DOE 2007 Toxic freshwater algae
10
Tues
Water Quality Connections and Integration
Thur
Student “Water quality in the news” summaries (bring to class)
Review
General reading: Water Quality 2.0, Appendix XIV
Final
Thur
Final Exam: Thursday June 12 @ 8am
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