Missoula Water Sustainability
Missoula Water Sustainability
Missoula H2O
Rian Bartsch, Kelsey Cowan, Austin Colyer, Brookland Swingley
Intro to Technical Writing
April 21, 2013
Sustaining natural resources is vital to the survival of every species on Earth. Water sustainability, in terms of biology, is the maintenance and conservation of water resources that is necessary for the survival of all living things. Sustaining water is essential to many facets of life - biologically, environmentally, socially and economically.
Residents of Missoula, Montana are fortunate enough to live in an area with a relatively ample supply of water resources. The main source of water for the Missoula area is the Missoula aquifer. An aquifer is an …show more content…
underground bed or layer of permeable rock, sediment or soil that yields water. The aquifer under Missoula is where residents and commercial businesses obtain water from. The image below (Figure 1) shows the Missoula aquifer and how it works: Figure [ 1 ] Missoula Aquifer http://www.mtnwater.com/aahquifer.htm Sustaining the Missoula aquifer is a goal of various environmental programs and companies in Missoula, such as Mountain Water Company and the Clark Fork Coalition. In order to sustain the Missoula aquifer various factors affecting water quality is important. Specific details on water quality, threats, and conservation are major points to consider when examining the overall sustainability of the Missoula aquifer. Water Quality
The risks for drinking water contamination exist all over the world. In Missoula however, water quality is not at as high of a risk. Mountain Water Company states Missoula’s water quality has had “no contaminants detected that exceed any federal or state drinking water standards.” Despite this positive report, risks still exist and are important to be aware of. Various factors that affect overall water quality include: viruses, bacteria, inorganic contaminants, oil and gas production, radioactive contaminants and multiple others.
Figure [ 2 ] Water testing www.waterquality.montana.edu
Figure [ 2 ] Water testing www.waterquality.montana.edu
To ensure the quality of Missoula’s drinking water stays up to par, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MTDEQ) take certain precautions to keep the water safe to drink. The ability to keep all contaminants out of drinking water is impossible and this is why the USEPA and MTDEQ have established regulations that limit the amount of contaminants and ensure possible contaminants stay at a safe level for healthy drinking water.
According to Mountain Water Company, some contaminants found in Missoula’s drinking water include: * Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. * Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, may be naturally occurring or a result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic waste water discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. Pesticides and herbicides are other contaminants, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses. * Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals that are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production but may also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems. * Radioactive contaminants, that may be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas productions and mining activities.
Mountain Water Company tests for these possible contamination threats and reports the levels of these every year. The levels of contaminants are provided in water quality reports for the public to review.
Threats
One water quality threat is the effect of the Milltown Dam. This dam has been one of the largest threats to Missoula’s aquifer. The Milltown Dam is not currently affecting the water quality of Missoula’s aquifer but in the past however, the dam proved to affect water quality before Mountain Water Company began carefully monitoring the contaminant levels. The dam held about 6.6 million cubic yards of sediment and about half were heavily contaFigure [ 3 ] Milltown Dam www.mtnwater.com
Figure [ 3 ] Milltown Dam www.mtnwater.com minated with metals. Arsenic, copper, zinc, iron, and manganese settled at the base of the damn about a hundred years ago during a flood in 1908.
In 1981, the Missoula City-County Health Department found that Milltown Dam was contaminated with arsenic.
Missoula receives 22% of its water flow from Milltown to Hellgate aquifer according to Missoula County Water Quality District (WQD). Missoula County WQD reported how severely this arsenic contamination affected Missoula’s water quality. An excerpt of the report showed: “The reservoir sediments contained an estimated 2,100 tons of arsenic and released 105 pound of arsenic per day or 19 tons per year into the Missoula aquifer. Approximately 5.5 trillion gallons of arsenic contaminated groundwater flowed downstream into the Missoula aquifer each year.” Actions have been taken to clean up Milltown Dam and currently no domestic wells exceed the arsenic drinking standards. The removal of the Milltown Dam was one of the largest efforts to decontaminate Missoula’s aquifer. Currently the Milltown Dam is not a threat for the Missoula aquifer but the dam could again become a possible threat and is monitored carefully. Contamination of the aquifer was not solely from the Milltown
Dam but exists in many other ways. Not many people think of drinking water or the aquifer when talking of sewer systems or septic tanks. There are two types of septic tanks, holding and leach fields. Both types can be harmful to the aquifer. Sink, shower, toilet, and laundry water are all collected in a septic system. This common household wastewater contains bacteria and viruses, as well as nitrates …show more content…
and any other harmful chemicals poured down the drain.
Figure [ 4 ] Septic holding tank www.athleticbusiness.com
Figure [ 4 ] Septic holding tank www.athleticbusiness.com
A septic system is simple. Solids and liquids go in, the solids break down and settle on the bottom, and the remaining liquids are dispersed into a leaching area. The leaching area is where the water contamination starts. Not only does this re-disbursement of liquids support the growth on top but it also seeps down to the aquifer underneath.
Figure [ 5 ] Septic Leach field www.athleticbusiness.com
Figure [ 5 ] Septic Leach field www.athleticbusiness.com Another threat is chemical and toxic waste. When working with chemicals spills do happen. For example, when a lawn mower runs out of gas while an individual is mowing the lawn the common action is to bring the gas can to the mower instead of bringing the mower to the garage to fill it up. When filling up the machine while it’s still on the lawn the chance of spilling gas onto the grass is very high. This gas will then seep into the soil and eventually make its way to the aquifer. Spills, such as the lawn mower example, are not the only threat. Improper disposal of chemicals, pesticides, waste disposal and naturally occurring substances can pose a threat to a community’s water system. Commonly used products can contaminate soil and in turn the aquifer. Human waste is currently by far the largest threat to the Missoula aquifer. Being uninformed about how certain actions can affect the aquifer is the largest part of the problem. Taking deeper considerations toward the threats of drinking water could go a long way in making a positive impact on the quality of the Missoula aquifer.
Conservation
The Missoula Conservation District was founded in 1946 as one of the 58 conservation districts in the state of Montana. The sole purpose of this District is to protect Missoula’s land and water by making sure of proper utilization, wastefulness is avoided and no harm is caused to Montana. The Missoula Conservation District says the Missoula aquifer is growing shallow every year
The everyday use of water for uses such as agriculture and farming the water is declining faster than it can be reabsorbed into the aquifer for most homes.
Missoula Conservation district says that watering lawns on sunny days is not beneficial – when the temperature reaches over 78 degrees the water will not absorb in the ground and will not be useful to the lawn or pasture. The most conservation friendly way to water land is just after dark when the temperature is dropping and the plants are not in direct sunlight. Some people around Missoula have adopted a new landscaping that requires no or less water; this is called drought tolerant landscaping. This landscaping requires 75% less water than normal lawns and contains rock, brick, or wood chips, which require no water at
all. Another way that water is not being used in a conservation friendly way is by everyday home appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers, showers, toilets, and sinks. Newer appliances have been redesigned to use less water, for example front load wash machines no longer fill the entire drum to wash a load of laundry instead it fills to the bottom of the door. New toilets have a “half flush” feature that allows for a quick flush of fluids only and uses 15% of the water of an average flush.
Figure [ 6 ] Full flush half flush www.alwin-bathware.com
Figure [ 6 ] Full flush half flush www.alwin-bathware.com
Designs like these are built around conserving water and are helping the average home use less water and be more environmentally friendly. The problem still remains that some people in Missoula do not have the proper appliances to conserve on water. So as more people move into Missoula and the demand on the aquifer grows heavier water conservation needs to be a main thought as opposed to just ignoring the problem. The landscaping discussed above is cheaper to install and maintain than the average lawn, as well as most water conscious appliances. Tax breaks are available for water conservation upgrades and money can be saved when conservation efforts are exhibited. If homeowners cannot afford to purchase new efficient appliances for the home there are ways exist to improve current homes water use. Spacing out laundry to cut two loads out a month can save gallons of water per month. Another way could be by placing a brick in toilet tanks to take up space and then less water is needed to fill it, therefore saving water with every flush. When in the shower a possible way to conserve water is to shut the water off while shampooing and washing the body. Ways to cut back on water usage are abundant and it is definitely time to spread the word and start taking advantage of them.
Conclusion
Sustaining the aquifer is a critical current issue in Missoula. By considering the factors that directly affect the aquifer and making even the smallest lifestyle changes, the Missoula community can ultimately help in the effort to prolong the aquifer. Water sustainability is important to survival as well as the survival of generations to come. Being conscious of water sustainability is a critical part in helping maintain the water resources.
Missoula H2O
Rian Bartsch, Kelsey Cowan, Austin Colyer, Brookland Swingley
Intro to Technical Writing
April 21, 2013
Sustaining natural resources is vital to the survival of every species on Earth. Water sustainability, in terms of biology, is the maintenance and conservation of water resources that is necessary for the survival of all living things. Sustaining water is essential to many facets of life - biologically, environmentally, socially and economically.
Residents of Missoula, Montana are fortunate enough to live in an area with a relatively ample supply of water resources. The main source of water for the Missoula area is the Missoula aquifer. An aquifer is an …show more content…
underground bed or layer of permeable rock, sediment or soil that yields water. The aquifer under Missoula is where residents and commercial businesses obtain water from. The image below (Figure 1) shows the Missoula aquifer and how it works: Figure [ 1 ] Missoula Aquifer http://www.mtnwater.com/aahquifer.htm Sustaining the Missoula aquifer is a goal of various environmental programs and companies in Missoula, such as Mountain Water Company and the Clark Fork Coalition. In order to sustain the Missoula aquifer various factors affecting water quality is important. Specific details on water quality, threats, and conservation are major points to consider when examining the overall sustainability of the Missoula aquifer. Water Quality
The risks for drinking water contamination exist all over the world. In Missoula however, water quality is not at as high of a risk. Mountain Water Company states Missoula’s water quality has had “no contaminants detected that exceed any federal or state drinking water standards.” Despite this positive report, risks still exist and are important to be aware of. Various factors that affect overall water quality include: viruses, bacteria, inorganic contaminants, oil and gas production, radioactive contaminants and multiple others.
Figure [ 2 ] Water testing www.waterquality.montana.edu
Figure [ 2 ] Water testing www.waterquality.montana.edu
To ensure the quality of Missoula’s drinking water stays up to par, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MTDEQ) take certain precautions to keep the water safe to drink. The ability to keep all contaminants out of drinking water is impossible and this is why the USEPA and MTDEQ have established regulations that limit the amount of contaminants and ensure possible contaminants stay at a safe level for healthy drinking water.
According to Mountain Water Company, some contaminants found in Missoula’s drinking water include: * Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. * Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, may be naturally occurring or a result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic waste water discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. Pesticides and herbicides are other contaminants, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses. * Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals that are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production but may also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems. * Radioactive contaminants, that may be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas productions and mining activities.
Mountain Water Company tests for these possible contamination threats and reports the levels of these every year. The levels of contaminants are provided in water quality reports for the public to review.
Threats
One water quality threat is the effect of the Milltown Dam. This dam has been one of the largest threats to Missoula’s aquifer. The Milltown Dam is not currently affecting the water quality of Missoula’s aquifer but in the past however, the dam proved to affect water quality before Mountain Water Company began carefully monitoring the contaminant levels. The dam held about 6.6 million cubic yards of sediment and about half were heavily contaFigure [ 3 ] Milltown Dam www.mtnwater.com
Figure [ 3 ] Milltown Dam www.mtnwater.com minated with metals. Arsenic, copper, zinc, iron, and manganese settled at the base of the damn about a hundred years ago during a flood in 1908.
In 1981, the Missoula City-County Health Department found that Milltown Dam was contaminated with arsenic.
Missoula receives 22% of its water flow from Milltown to Hellgate aquifer according to Missoula County Water Quality District (WQD). Missoula County WQD reported how severely this arsenic contamination affected Missoula’s water quality. An excerpt of the report showed: “The reservoir sediments contained an estimated 2,100 tons of arsenic and released 105 pound of arsenic per day or 19 tons per year into the Missoula aquifer. Approximately 5.5 trillion gallons of arsenic contaminated groundwater flowed downstream into the Missoula aquifer each year.” Actions have been taken to clean up Milltown Dam and currently no domestic wells exceed the arsenic drinking standards. The removal of the Milltown Dam was one of the largest efforts to decontaminate Missoula’s aquifer. Currently the Milltown Dam is not a threat for the Missoula aquifer but the dam could again become a possible threat and is monitored carefully. Contamination of the aquifer was not solely from the Milltown
Dam but exists in many other ways. Not many people think of drinking water or the aquifer when talking of sewer systems or septic tanks. There are two types of septic tanks, holding and leach fields. Both types can be harmful to the aquifer. Sink, shower, toilet, and laundry water are all collected in a septic system. This common household wastewater contains bacteria and viruses, as well as nitrates …show more content…
and any other harmful chemicals poured down the drain.
Figure [ 4 ] Septic holding tank www.athleticbusiness.com
Figure [ 4 ] Septic holding tank www.athleticbusiness.com
A septic system is simple. Solids and liquids go in, the solids break down and settle on the bottom, and the remaining liquids are dispersed into a leaching area. The leaching area is where the water contamination starts. Not only does this re-disbursement of liquids support the growth on top but it also seeps down to the aquifer underneath.
Figure [ 5 ] Septic Leach field www.athleticbusiness.com
Figure [ 5 ] Septic Leach field www.athleticbusiness.com Another threat is chemical and toxic waste. When working with chemicals spills do happen. For example, when a lawn mower runs out of gas while an individual is mowing the lawn the common action is to bring the gas can to the mower instead of bringing the mower to the garage to fill it up. When filling up the machine while it’s still on the lawn the chance of spilling gas onto the grass is very high. This gas will then seep into the soil and eventually make its way to the aquifer. Spills, such as the lawn mower example, are not the only threat. Improper disposal of chemicals, pesticides, waste disposal and naturally occurring substances can pose a threat to a community’s water system. Commonly used products can contaminate soil and in turn the aquifer. Human waste is currently by far the largest threat to the Missoula aquifer. Being uninformed about how certain actions can affect the aquifer is the largest part of the problem. Taking deeper considerations toward the threats of drinking water could go a long way in making a positive impact on the quality of the Missoula aquifer.
Conservation
The Missoula Conservation District was founded in 1946 as one of the 58 conservation districts in the state of Montana. The sole purpose of this District is to protect Missoula’s land and water by making sure of proper utilization, wastefulness is avoided and no harm is caused to Montana. The Missoula Conservation District says the Missoula aquifer is growing shallow every year
The everyday use of water for uses such as agriculture and farming the water is declining faster than it can be reabsorbed into the aquifer for most homes.
Missoula Conservation district says that watering lawns on sunny days is not beneficial – when the temperature reaches over 78 degrees the water will not absorb in the ground and will not be useful to the lawn or pasture. The most conservation friendly way to water land is just after dark when the temperature is dropping and the plants are not in direct sunlight. Some people around Missoula have adopted a new landscaping that requires no or less water; this is called drought tolerant landscaping. This landscaping requires 75% less water than normal lawns and contains rock, brick, or wood chips, which require no water at
all. Another way that water is not being used in a conservation friendly way is by everyday home appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers, showers, toilets, and sinks. Newer appliances have been redesigned to use less water, for example front load wash machines no longer fill the entire drum to wash a load of laundry instead it fills to the bottom of the door. New toilets have a “half flush” feature that allows for a quick flush of fluids only and uses 15% of the water of an average flush.
Figure [ 6 ] Full flush half flush www.alwin-bathware.com
Figure [ 6 ] Full flush half flush www.alwin-bathware.com
Designs like these are built around conserving water and are helping the average home use less water and be more environmentally friendly. The problem still remains that some people in Missoula do not have the proper appliances to conserve on water. So as more people move into Missoula and the demand on the aquifer grows heavier water conservation needs to be a main thought as opposed to just ignoring the problem. The landscaping discussed above is cheaper to install and maintain than the average lawn, as well as most water conscious appliances. Tax breaks are available for water conservation upgrades and money can be saved when conservation efforts are exhibited. If homeowners cannot afford to purchase new efficient appliances for the home there are ways exist to improve current homes water use. Spacing out laundry to cut two loads out a month can save gallons of water per month. Another way could be by placing a brick in toilet tanks to take up space and then less water is needed to fill it, therefore saving water with every flush. When in the shower a possible way to conserve water is to shut the water off while shampooing and washing the body. Ways to cut back on water usage are abundant and it is definitely time to spread the word and start taking advantage of them.
Conclusion
Sustaining the aquifer is a critical current issue in Missoula. By considering the factors that directly affect the aquifer and making even the smallest lifestyle changes, the Missoula community can ultimately help in the effort to prolong the aquifer. Water sustainability is important to survival as well as the survival of generations to come. Being conscious of water sustainability is a critical part in helping maintain the water resources.