Water Supplement

Water and its many uses

The average person is made up 65% of water. It is used to transport nutri- ents and wastes. It also lu- bricates bones and keeps the skin from frying.

To keep healthy, an adult needs to take in 2.8-3.4 litres of water each day. forty— seven percent comes from drinking water and other liq- uids. The rest comes from in- ternal chemical reactions and the intake of food. Water is given off by the body regu- larly. 15% through breath- ing, 20-30% through perspi- ration, and the rest by di- rect excretion. This adds up to about 2.3 litres of water given off each day.

If drinking water has too much dissolved minerals it can cause many internal dis- orders. Fro example, water high in sodium can lead to hypertension of heart prob- lems.

On average, each house- hold uses 1140 to 1820 litres of water a day. 28% is used for bathing and personal use, 23% is used for laundry and dishes, 45% is used in the toi- let, and 4% is used for drink- ing and cooking.

Water is also used munic- ipally for stores, offices, hos- pitals,and schools. Water is used in fire hydrants, and swimming pools.

by Candi Mackey

Sewage Systems Can Contaminate Water

A third area being studied un- der this agreement is the domes- tic sewage and septic systems on PEI. Forty percent of Islanders are not connected to a munici- pal service, therefore water and sewage is a major family and fi- nancial problem.

Safe disposal of human wastes is important to have a healthy ground water supply. It is impor- tant for the survival of birds, an- imals, and marine life as well as for human survival.

There are tow main types of sewage systems used in PEI. The first is the central system. Here sewage is removed by pipes and

ducts connected to a single dis- posal area or treatment centre.

Here inorganic and organic solids

Island Groundwater in Trouble

Another area which is being studied under the agreement is PEI groundwater. Ground wa- ter begins as percipetation. It moves down through the soil to saturate spaces between soil par- ticles and fractures and openings in bedrock. Saturated zones used to supply wells are called aqui- fiers. Groundwater accounts for 95% of the worlds usable fresh water resources.

Prince Edward Island relies completely on groundwater for its domestic, municipal, and indus- trial water needs. There are, however, many threads to Island groundwater one threat is that of agricultural chemicals. Some highly dissolvable pesticides used in the potato industries have been found in domestic wells. There

in both underground and above ground storage tanks.

is concern of the longterm ef- fects and of the effects of nitrates on groundwater quality as high nitrate levels are a health haz- ard. Another problem is that of leaking gasoline and oil storage tanks. Leaking is common from tanks which are old. It can occur

Saltwater intrusion may oc- cur in wells constructed near the ocean, especially when over pumping draws saltwater into the fresh water supply. This has occured in Summerside, Elliot River, and Brackley Beach Park.

In areas where septic tanks and private wells are used, sep- tic tank discharges can contami- nate wells. It can lead to bacteria and virusis in groundwater sup- plies and leaky sewage pipes.

Other problems include the seepage of animal wastes liq-

uid wastes from dump sites and sanitary landfills, and salt from road deciding in local groundwa- ter supplies and private wells.

The groundwater study pro- gram will carry out three ma- jor projects. The first is the groundwater resource evaluation project. It well examine the qual- ity and quantity of groundwater supplies and how they may be best developed. It will help de- termine the best ares for poten- tial sources of contamination as waste disposal sites and service stations.

The second project is the Pes- ticides sampling project. It is set up-to monitor wells for com- monly used pesticides. Wells will be sampled in the spring and fall over a two year period. It will in- clude nitrate and bacterial sam-

Water, An Endangered Resource

In 1987 the federal govern- ment and the province of Prince Edward Island signed a three year agreement called the Canada — PEI Water Resource Manage- ment Agreement. Its aim is to study water usages here to pro- tect the future of the water re- sources.

One of the areas being stud- ied is the surface water such as streams, ponds, lakes and rivers. This water is used as home for

fish and wildlife. Humans use it

for hunting, fishing, boating, and hiking. It is also very important for industries such as shellfish and commercial fishery, and for agri- culture and forestry.

There are many treats to our surface water. One is silta- tion which rises from soil ero- sion. When vegetation is re- moved from streambanks or when livestock have unrestricted access to streams, surface waters are more likely to experience silta- tion and contamination which de-

grades fish habitat.

A third threat to surface wa- ter is bacterial contamination and nutrient — loading of PEI streams. This is caused by fertilizer and manure run off, untreated indus- trial wastes, sewage lagoon over- flow, and uncontrolled access of cattle.

The last problem are in-stream abstructions which keep fish from reaching spawning grounds. These barries can be naturally occuring such as. beaver

are changed into a manageable sludge. These systems are expen- sive especially for rural areas and larger lots with greater distances between houses.

The second sewage system is the on-site system. These are used a lot in rural area where over 40% of the island homes used it.

Faulty materials poor con- struction, and inadequate main- tenance can cause problems for any or all of the 3 major ele- ments of a sewage system: The sewer pipe carries water from the

house to the septic tank. The sep- »

tic tank is a setting tank which separates wastes and breaks them down then emits them to the dis- posal field. Septic tanks con-

pling.

The last project is the Well Construction Pilot Project. Over two years, new well construction methods will be used on the Is- land. Water from these wells will be compared with wells suing cur- rent construction methods.

People owning a private sep- tic system should look for signs of improper drainage such as spongy ground near the system

or sewage odour in the basement. They should also pump it out ev- ery 3-5 years. People can also help prevent leaks or spills from home fuel tanks by monitoring tank levels and watching for cor- roded or leaking containers.

: by Candi Mackey

damns or fallen trees or they may be a result of human activities like culverts and dams which are not placed properly.

The surface water program will carry out two projects to pro- tect our water resources. The first is the Water-Shed Inventory Project. Twelve watersheds con- sisting of twenty-six rivers will be looked at. The inventory will look at present and future uses of PEI’s surface water resources.

The second project consists of

trol the rate of sewage f that only liquids go to t posal field. The disposal has perforated plastic o crete. pipes in parallel tr filled with gravel or crushed Treated sewage seeps in soil through this rock and ¢

Moderately permeable mixed soils are the best fy posal fields as sandy soils p wastes too quickly and { packed clays can cause bal of wastes. A disposal field s| also be installed with a mum grade so that there a slow drainage of wastes an ground. water level should least 1 and 1/2 meters belo disposal field.

by Candi Mackey

“It’s not my facld all those

demonstration projects. projects will be on erosion P" tations have been develop public education as well a§ puter based system well be to show land use and activil§ watersheds. This makes it to learn the effects of irrege!

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