Introduction to Civil Engineering: Water Management

Study Notes

Images of modern and ancient water sources were presented in class, illustrating the historical importance of maintaining clean water for human welfare
The evolution of understanding water management and treatment throughout history.

4000 BCE: Early civilizations recognized the need for water treatment methods (boiling, filtration) for improved aesthetic properties.
1500 BCE: Egyptians used purifying apparatuses (with alum addition) evidenced by pictures found on Egyptian walls.
400 BCE: Hippocrates recognized the correlation between water management and health.
1st Century CE: Aqueducts and settling reservoirs further evolved water management systems.

1854: John Snow's study on cholera outbreaks marked a turning point in understanding waterborne diseases.
1892: Robert Koch identified filtration as a mechanism to remove cholera-causing bacteria.
1908: Introduction of chlorination for municipal water treatment; Jersey City, NJ, was the first city to implement this method. Municipal water treatment significantly reduced the number of deaths.

Only approximately 0.8% of Earth's water is potable and readily available for use (held in aquifers, lakes, rivers, plants, etc.)
Freshwater volume (lakes & rivers): 2.5 x 10¹⁶ gallons
Groundwater volume: 2.8 x 10¹⁸ gallons
70% of precipitation evaporates, 20% runs off into surface water, and 10% soaks into the ground.

Describes the continuous movement of water on Earth.
Shows the process of evaporation, cloud formation, precipitation, infiltration, and groundwater replenishment.
Shows a diagram of the water cycle.

Daily per capita water requirement: 2-3 liters
Number of people globally without access to safe drinking water: 0.7 - 1.7 billion
80% of diseases and 33% of deaths in developing countries are linked to contaminated water consumption

Personal use (drinking, cooking, laundering, bathing, etc.): 15 Billion Gallons per Day (BGD)
Industrial use (paper, petroleum, chemicals): 36 BGD
Irrigation (mostly agriculture): 100 BGD
Other uses (power generation): May contribute to thermal pollution

Waterborne Diseases: Diseases resulting from ingesting water contaminated with pathogens (cholera, cryptosporidiosis).
Water-Privation Diseases: Diseases related to insufficient water quantity and hygiene (skin/eye infections, dysentery).
Water-Contact Diseases: Diseases resulting from contact with organisms in water (Guinea worm disease, schistosomiasis).
Water-Insect Related Diseases: Vector-borne illnesses spread by insects utilizing water sources for breeding (malaria, West Nile, Zika).
Toxic Chemicals: Pollution from minerals (arsenic), fertilizers (nitrates), and industrial waste (heavy metals)

Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) and Guideline Values (GV) for chemicals in water.
Calculation of ADI using No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) or Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level (LOAEL) and uncertainty factor (UF).
Calculating Guideline Value (GV) using ADI, body weight (BW), proportion of ADI allocated to drinking water (P), and consumption rate (C).
Examples: Calculating ADI and GV for Arsenic in drinking water exposure.

Diagram showing the municipal drinking water treatment process, including water collection, treatment plant, and distribution system.
Steps in typical municipal water treatment process: screening, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection.

Lack of access to clean drinking water is a significant global public health concern, particularly in developing countries.
While developed countries have a less severe problem, illnesses and deaths from poor water quality still occur annually.
Population growth and climate change are contributing factors to the persistence of this problem.