Bristol Water Department Tour Pre-Trip Materials
Key Concepts
S Water is essential to life. A person can
survive about a month without food, but only 5 to 7 days without water.
S
Water comes from the precipitation that falls to
the Earth as part of the hydrologic (water) cycle. This water can be stored
underground in aquifers or above ground in reservoirs.
S
The aquifers and reservoirs must be recharged or
“refilled” or they will run out of water. The reservoirs can be recharged
through run off and groundwater, while the aquifers are only recharged by the
water that soaks into the ground.
S
Drinking water in the City of Bristol is treated
at the Bristol Water Treatment plant before it is consumed.
S
Activity One: What Can We Drink?
Objective:
To demonstrate the amount of fresh water on Earth that is available for use.
Background: Water is one of the most abundant
resources on Earth. Water covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface, but
not all of this water can be used as drinking water. A large portion of the
water makes up the oceans, some is frozen in the icecaps, and some is located
too deep beneath the Earth’s surface to be used. This demonstration will
compare the amounts of salt water, trapped fresh water, and fresh water
available for use.
Materials: 1000-ml beaker, 50-ml graduated cylinder,
10-ml graduated cylinder (or containers of similar size), eye dropper, water
Activity:
1.
Explain that most of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. Fill the
1000-ml beaker with water. Explain that this beaker of 1000-ml of water
represents all of the Earth’s water resources.
2.
Using the 50-ml graduated cylinder measure 30-ml of water out of the
1000-ml beaker. The 30-ml represents all of the fresh water on the Earth. The
water remaining in the beaker represents all of the salt water present on Earth.
3.
Using the 10-ml graduated cylinder measure 6-ml of water from the 30-ml.
The 6-ml of water represents fresh water that is not frozen in glaciers and the
polar icecaps, while the remaining 24-ml of water represents the fresh water
that is frozen. Nearly 80% of the Earth’s fresh water is frozen in the glaciers
and icecaps.
4.
Using the eye dropper remove one drop of water from the 10-ml graduated
cylinder. This single drop represents the amount of fresh water available for
use on the Earth. The water remaining in the graduated cylinder represents
fresh water that is unavailable for use, because it is too deep below the
ground.
5.
Explain that even though water is a plentiful resource, fresh water that
can be used is not as plentiful. Fresh water that can be used is often stored.
Water can be stored underground in aquifers or above ground in reservoirs.
S
Activity Two: Soaking In or Running Off?
Objective: To demonstrate impacts of landscape
features on watersheds and groundwater recharge and how these impacts can limit
the amount of available fresh water.
Background: Water falls through
precipitation – rain, snow, and ice – which will either run off or soak into the
ground, depending on the features of the landscape. One factor that impacts water run
off is the slope of the ground. Another factor that affects how much water
soaks into the ground is the permeability of the surface. Paved roads, parking
lots, and driveways and the rooftops of buildings create an impermeable surface
that the water cannot soak into. Water that falls on grass, wooded, or wetland
areas will soak into the ground. These factors can impact the watershed area
required to recharge an aquifer.
Materials: 2 aluminum trays, 4 sponges, water,
beaker, wood block, watch or stopwatch (optional)
Activity:
1.
Poke a hole in one end of one of the aluminum trays. Using the wood
block, prop up the other end of the tray to form a slope. Place the aluminum
tray without the hole beneath the tray with the hole to catch the water.
2.
Explain that the permeability of the ground can impact how much water
will soak into the ground and how much will run off. Pour the water from the
beaker down the slope. Allow students to observe the flow of water (velocity)
and the amount of water collected at the end. Explain that the water poured
down the tray was comparable to rain falling on a paved area.
3.
Pour the water from the tray back into the beaker. Set up the trays as
in step #1, but now adding the sponges (wrung dry) to the tray.
4.
Explain that the sponges will represent grassy or wetland areas. Ask the
students what they think the differences will be between the two trials.
5.
Pour the water as in step #2.
6.
Compare the differences in the time it took the water to flow into the
pan and the amount of water collected. Relate this comparison to water running
off of paved areas and off of grass or wetland areas – the water in the sponges
is the water that would recharge the aquifer!
Key
Vocabulary
The following list of terms is defined as each is
relevant to water:
·
Aquifer
– a permeable layer of rock beneath the Earth’s surface that holds water
·
Contaminant
– something that pollutes or makes water unclean
·
Evaporation
– the process of changing from the liquid state to the gaseous state
·
Percolate
– to penetrate or pass through, as water percolates through soil or rock
Permeable
– having pores or openings that liquid water can pass through
·
Pollute
– to make unclean
·
Precipitation
– water that falls to Earth as hail, mist, rain, sleet, or snow
·
Reservoir
– a lake where water is collected and stored for use
·
Run off
– precipitation that flows over the surface of the ground; will ultimately reach
the
streams and rivers
·
Water
– compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen, odorless, tasteless, freezes at
0oC,
boils at 100oC
·
Watershed
– a region of land defined by a water parting or dividing feature (such as a
mountain or hill)
·
Well
– water coming from the Earth, or a hole or pit dug to reach water within the
Earth
Use of these
materials:
The
pre-trip materials are designed to raise student awareness and understanding of
water-related issues prior to the lesson and tour provided at the Bristol Water
Treatment facility. The materials include an overview of key concepts and
vocabulary as well as experiences that can be done in the classroom to increase
the knowledge base of the student. In order to make the visit more meaningful;
teachers and students are encouraged to utilize these activities and information
before visiting the treatment facility.
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