Exam 12: Water Resources

Congress passed the ____________________ in 1972, with the intent of eliminating the discharge of pollutants, improving water quality, and prohibiting the discharge of toxic pollutants.

Industry and homes are examples of entities that would be considered ____________ because they use water and then return it to Earth locally.

In the United States, some of the ____ regions use the ____ amounts of water.

A(n) ____________________ forms near a well where water is withdrawn faster than it can flow through the aquifer back to the well.

Arsenic is an example of a toxic inorganic compound.

Explain how technological advances have placed a burden on water resources across the globe.

Wastes from nuclear power plants cause radioactive pollution because the cheapest cooling agent is typically what? __________

Which criterion must be met for a location to be chosen as a permanent nuclear waste repository?

Explain how ecological disruptions can occur when dams are built stopping the natural flow of rivers.

Invasive species such as Tamarix impacted the Colorado River because of excess sedimentation that occurred during flood years.

The only feasible method for the disposal of radioactive wastes because of extensive geologic time related to the half-life of radioactive materials is to do what with the wastes?

An example of a nonpoint source of pollution is ____.

Future levels of human poverty will be increased by water scarcity and potential for conflict over the competition for water resources will increase as human population continues to rise.

Pollutants that do not decay naturally in a reasonable amount of time are classified as ____________________ pollutants.

A leaking septic tank is an example of point source pollution because it is generated over a known area.

A leaking septic tank is an example of ____________________ pollution.

Sediment is considered a nonbiodegradable pollutant because the material cannot decompose naturally like sewage.

Most plumes of contaminations move ___________ allowing for remediation to help mitigate the pollution to the groundwater system.

Agriculture accounts for most of the water that is _____________; the farmers use water and then return it to Earth far from its source, which is called _____________.

The melting of large continental glaciers that had invaded North America at the end of the last ice age (Pleistocene) caused the initial water resources to be added for the Ogallala aquifer.