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HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE

ice caps and glaciers. It evaporates from

the earth‘s surface, condenses in clouds,
Specific Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to: falls back to the earth as precipitation (rain,
 Explain the distribution of the earth’s water. sleet or snow), and eventually either runs
 Explain the relevance of the hydrological cycle into the seas or re-evaporates into the
to plants and animals.
 Outline the main causes of water contamination atmosphere.
and the effects on humans.
 Describe household water conservation
methods. Almost all the water on the earth has
passed through the water cycle countless
times. Very little water has been created or
lost over the past millions of years.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE
INTRODUCTION
EARTH’S WATER
Hydrologic Cycle (or water cycle), is a Water is the most widespread substance to
series of movements of water above, on, be found in the natural environment and it
and below the surface of the earth. is the source of all life on earth; it covers
70% of the earth‘s surface.
The water cycle consists of four distinct
stages:
 storage
 evaporation
 precipitation
 runoff

Water may be stored temporarily in the

ground; in oceans, lakes, and rivers; and in Fig. 20.0: Water covers 70% of Earth’s surface

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Water exists in three states: liquid, solid The greatest portion of the fresh water
and gas (vapour). It forms the oceans, seas, (68.7%) is in the form of ice and
lakes, rivers and the underground waters permanent snow cover in the Antarctic, the
found in the top layers of the earth‘s crust Arctic and in the mountainous regions.
and soil cover. In a solid state, it exists as 29.9% exists as fresh ground waters. Only
ice and snow cover in polar and alpine 0.26% of the total amount of fresh water on
regions. A certain amount of water is the earth is concentrated in lakes,
contained in the air as water vapour, water reservoirs and river system, where it is
droplets and ice crystals, as well as in the most easily accessible for our economic
biosphere. Huge amounts of water are needs and vital for water ecosystems.
bound up in the composition of the
different minerals of the earth‘s crust and RELEVANCE OF
core. HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE

Current estimates are that the earth‘s i. Hydrological cycle helps regulate the
hydrosphere contains a huge amount of temperatures of animals through
water - about 1386 million cubic perspiration and evaporation.
kilometres. However, 97.5% of this ii. Through transpiration, plants lose
amount exists as saline (salty) waters and excess water to the atmosphere
only 2.5% as fresh water. thereby regulating their temperature.

Fig. 20.1: Hydrological cycle

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iii. Without hydrological cycle, the total water supplies, leading to water
amount of water on the earth might be pollution.
used up. This means animals and
plants that depend on water would  Domestic waste
also be no more, and life on earth Another cause of contamination of
would cease. water is the improper disposal of
iv. Evaporation and precipitation cool the human and animal wastes as well as
earth‘s atmosphere preventing it from other pollutants from household wastes.
overheating.
 Agricultural waste
SOURCES OF WATER The residue of agricultural practices,
CONTAMINATION including fertilizers and pesticides, are
some of the major sources of water
Water contamination occurs when harmful pollution.
substances are discharged directly or
indirectly into water bodies without  Mining waste
adequate treatment to remove harmful Chemicals used in the mining
compounds. industries are allowed to drain to
Water pollution affects plants and nearby water bodies polluting it. Some
organisms living in these bodies of water small scale miners even wash their
and in almost all cases the effect is minerals in rivers and streams with
damaging not only to individual species chemicals.
and populations but also to the natural
biological communities.  Radioactive waste
Radioactive wastes are often
Some sources of water contamination discharged into the ocean and other
 Industrial waste water body. These wastes have serious
Dumping of industrial wastes effects on plants and animals if not
containing heavy metals, harmful properly disposed of.
chemicals, by-products, organic toxins
and oils, into nearby source of water is  Special waste
one of the visible causes of water Some other wastes such as wastes from
pollution. Effluents from factories, hospitals and clinics are some of the
refineries, injection wells and sewage major contaminants found in water
treatment plants are dumped into urban bodies. Proper disposal of these wastes

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 would save people from going to cholera and diarrhoea are often linked
hospitals and clinics in the first place. to the harmful effects of water
pollution.
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF
7. Carcinogenic pollutants found in
WATER POLLUTION
polluted water might cause cancer.
1. A number of waterborne diseases are
produced by the pathogens present in 8. Alteration in the chromosomal makeup
polluted water, inffecting humans and of the future generation is foreseen as a
animals alike. result of water pollution.

2. Pollution affects the chemistry of 9. Discharges from power stations reduce

water. The pollutants, including toxic the availability of oxygen in the water
chemicals, can alter the acidity, body in which they are dumped.
conductivity and temperature of water.
10. The flora and fauna (plants and
3. Polluted municipal water supplies are animals) of rivers, sea and oceans are
found to pose a threat to the health of adversely affected by water pollution.
people using them.
WATER CONSERVATION
4. The concentration of bacteria and
METHODS
viruses in polluted water causes
increase in solids suspended in the It is very vital to save or conserve water.
water body which in turn leads to Some water conservation methods include:
health problems.
1. Wash fruits and vegetables in a pan of
5. Marine life becomes deteriorated due to water instead of running water from the
water pollution. Killing of fish and tap.
aquatic plants in rivers, oceans and seas 2. Use a broom or brush instead of a hose
is an after effect of water to clean driveway and sidewalk and
contamination. save water every time.
3. When washing dishes by hand, do not
6. Diseases affecting the heart, poor let the water run while rinsing. Fill one
circulation of blood and the nervous sink with wash water and the other with
system and ailments like skin lesion, rinse water.

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4. Shorten your shower by a minute or Rainwater harvesting
two and you'll save up to 150 gallons Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation
per month. and storing, of rainwater.
5. Try keeping a pitcher or bottle of water
in the refrigerator for cool drinking It has been used to provide drinking water,
water. Running tap water to cool it off water for livestock, water for irrigation or
for drinking water is wasteful. to refill aquifers in a process called
6. If you do not drink all of the water in groundwater recharge. Rainwater
your glass rather than dumping the rest collected from the roofs of houses, tents
down the drain use it to water a plant or and local institutions can make an
something useful. important contribution to the availability of
7. Repair leaks in pipes. Often taps and drinking water.
pipes can have leaks and they are not
even noticed. Even the smallest leak Water collected from the ground,
can waste up to 20 gallons of water a sometimes from areas which are especially
day. Leaks wastewater 24 hours a day, prepared for this purpose, is called Storm
seven days a week, and can often be water harvesting. In some cases rainwater
repaired with only an inexpensive may be the only available or economical,
washer. water source.
8. Put a little food colouring into your
toilet tank. If the colour begins to Rainwater harvesting systems can be
appear in the bowl, without flushing, simple to construct from inexpensive local
you have a leak that should be repaired materials, and are potentially successful in
as soon as possible. most habitable locations. Roof rainwater
9. Every time you flush a facial tissue or can be of good quality and may not require
other small bit of trash, you waste five treatment before consumption. Although
to seven gallons of water. Therefore put some rooftop materials may produce
waste in bins instead of toilet. rainwater that is harmful to human health,
10. Turn off the water while brushing your it can be useful in flushing toilets, washing
teeth. There is no need to keep water clothes, watering the garden and washing
pouring down the drain. Just wet your cars. These uses alone reduce the amount
brush and turn off the tap. You can turn of treated water used by a typical home.
the water back on when you are ready
to rinse.

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 TEST QUESTIONS

1. a) Explain the term hydrological

cycle.
b) How is the Earth‘s water
distributed?
c) State four importance of
hydrological cycle to living things.

2. a) Explain four sources of water

contamination.
b) State five harmful effects of water
contamination.
c) Mention five water conservation
methods.
3. a) Write a short note on rainwater
Fig. 20.2: Rainwater harvesting harvesting.
b) Discuss the importance of rainwater
harvesting.
c) Describe how you will construct a
simple rainwater harvesting system.

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