Prediction and Assessment of

Impacts on Water Environment

What is Water Pollution?
• Any physical, biological, or chemical change in water
quality that adversely affects living organisms or
makes water unsuitable for desired uses can be
considered pollution.
• There are natural sources of water contamination
(e.g. poison springs and oil seeps).
• Pollution control standards and regulations usually
distinguish between point and non-point pollution
sources.
Types of Water Pollution
• Water pollution may be divided into six categories on the basis
of sources and storages of water.
• Ground water pollution
• Surface water pollution
• Lake water pollution
• River water pollution
• Sea water pollution
• Thermal Pollution
• Water pollution may be divided into 3 categories on the basis
of pollutants nature.
• Physical pollution of water
• Chemical pollution of water
• Biological pollution of water
Point and Non-point pollution sources
• A point source is a source that discharges effluents, such
as wastewater from sewage treatment and industrial
plants.
• Simply put, a point source is usually easily identified as
“end of the pipe” pollution; that is, it emanates from a
concentrated source or sources.
• In addition to organic pollution received from the effluents
of sewage treatment plants, other sources of organic
pollution include runoffs and dissolution of minerals
throughout an area that are not from one or more
concentrated sources.
Point and Non-point pollution sources
• Non concentrated sources are known as non-point sources (NPS) comes
from many diffuse sources.
• NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the
ground.
• As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and man-made
pollutants, finally depositing them into streams, lakes, wetlands, rivers,
coastal waters, and even our underground sources of drinking water.
These pollutants include:
• Excess fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from agricultural lands and
residential areas
• Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production
• Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest
lands, and eroding stream banks
• Salt from irrigation practices and acid drainage from abandoned mines
• Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes, and faulty septic
systems
• Atmospheric deposition and hydro modification are also sources of NPS
pollution
SOURCES OF CONTAMINANTS
Important surface water contaminants and their impacts
Water Quality Assessment
Limits of water uses due to water quality degradation
Positive and negative effects of land use change on surface water qualities environment
Effect of Water Pollution
- reduction in oxygen levels in water bodies
- decrease- photosynthetic rate, oxygen solubility, diffusion of oxygen
- increased oxygen demand
- over-fertilization
- most of the metals and chemical compounds find their way into water ways
- mercury will be converted to methyl mercury which is extremely
toxic to fish
- when ingested by man it may lead to blindness, deafness, insanity
or death
- other metals like lead, copper, cadmium etc when taken up by
phyto-planktons may impair the biological processes of the
organisms or even kill them
- lead poisoning in human beings include loss of appetite weakness
and disorders in neuromuscular system, the circulatory system and
the gastro-intestinal tract
- cadmium poisoning is toxic to all human systems
- nitrates, nitrites and some chlorinated hydrocarbons are also found
harmful to human beings.
- addition of chlorinated organic materials – carcinogenic
Effect of Water Pollution
- several waterborne infectious diseases are directly related to
polluted water
- in addition, the aquatic food chain acts to concentrate several
toxic substances as it ascends from micro- organisms through
various predators, and preys to fish which are in turn eaten by
seals, by certain birds, or by people
- well water usually gets contaminated with nitrates from fertilizer
runoff poses a health hazard
- reduces the recreational value of the waters
- ocean going ships are a continuing source of oil pollution. When
there is a leakage in the ship, the spilled away oil is found to have
disastrous effect on aquatic flora and fauna.
Effect of Heavy Water Pollutants on Man
Metal Pathological effect
Mercury Abdominal pain, headache, diarrhoea, chest pain
Lead Anaemia, vomiting, loss of appetite, convulsions,
damage of brain, liver and kidney
Arsenic Disturbed peripheral circulation, liver cirrhosis,
lung cancer, ulcers in gastro-intestinal tract,
kidney damage
Cadmium Diarrhoea, bone deformation anaemia
Copper Hypertension, coma
Barium Vomiting, excessive salivation paralysis
Zinc Vomiting, renal damage
Selenium Damage of liver, kidney spleen fever, low blood
pressure, blindness
Cobalt Diarrhoea, low blood pressure lung irritation,
bone deformities, paralysis
Projects which Create Impact Concerns for the Surface-Water Environment

I. Industrial power plants withdrawing surface water for cooling (this may be of
particular concern during low- flow conditions).
2. Power plants discharging heated waste water from cooling cycles
3. Industries discharging process waste waters from either routine operations or as a
result of accidents and spills.
4. Municipal waste water treatment plants discharging primary, secondary or treated
waste waters.
5. Dredging projects in rivers, harbors, estuaries and or coastal area (increased
turbidity and release of sediment contaminants may occur)
6. Projects involving "fill" or creation of "fast lands" along rivers, lakes. estuaries and
coastal area.
7. Surface mining projects with resultant changes in surface water hydrology and
nonpoint pollution.
Projects Which Create Impact Concerns for the Surface-Water Environment

8. Construction of dams for purposes of water supply. flood control or hydropower

production.
9. River canalization projects for flow improvements
10. Deforestation and agricultural development resulting in non-point source pollution
associated with nutrients and pesticides and irrigation projects, leading to turn flows
laden with nutrients and pesticides.
11. Commercial hazardous waste disposal sites and/or sanitary landfills, with resultant
run-off water and non-point-source pollution; and
12. Tourism projects adjacent to estuaries or coastal area with concerns related to
bacterial pollution.
Schematic diagram of the land-use-water-quality relationship
Summary of cause-effect network for surface waters
Systematic Methods for Evaluation of Impacts of Various
Developmental Activities on Surface Water Environment

• Step 1 Identification of Surface Water Quantity or Quality Impacts of

Proposed Projects

• Step 2 Description of Existing Surface - Water Resource Conditions

• Step 3 Procurement of Relevant Surface-water Quantity-Quality

Standards

• Step 4 Impact Prediction

• Step 5 Interpretation of Impact Significance

• Step 6 Identification and Incorporation of Mitigation Measures

Step 1 Identification of Surface Water Quantity or Quality Impacts of Proposed
Projects
Key information relative to the proposed project includes
1. The type of project and how it functions or operates in a technical context,
particularly with regard to water usage and waste water generation, or the creation
of changes in water quality or quantity,
2. The proposed location of the project,
3. The time period required for project construction,
4. The potential environmental outputs from the project during its operational phase,
including information relative to water usage and water pollutant emissions, and
waste-generation and disposal needs.
5. The identified need for the proposed project in the particular location (this need
could be related to flood control, industrial development, economic development.
and many other requirements), and
6. Any alternatives which have been considered, with generic alternatives for factors
including site location, project size, project design features and pollution control
measures, and project timing relative to construction and operational phases.
Step 2 Description of Existing Surface - Water Resource
Conditions

• Step 2 involves describing existing (background) conditions of

the surface water resource(s) potentially impacted by the
project.
• Pertinent activities include assembling information on water
quantity and quality, identifying unique pollution problems, key
climatological information, conducting baseline monitoring,
and summarizing information on point - and non-point -
pollution sources and on water users and uses.
Step 3 Procurement of Relevant Surface-water Quantity-
Quality Standards
• To determine the severity of the impact that may result from a project, it is
necessary to make use of institutional measures for determining the impact
significance.
• Surface-water quantity and quality standards, regulations, or policies are
examples of these measures.
• Thus determination of the specific requirements for a given surface water
will require contacting governing agencies in one or several regions.
• The intended use of the surface water with the use as drinking water
supply typically results in the most stringent standards.
• Effluent limitations regulating the permissible quality of discharged waste
water from domestic and industrial sources may also be pertinent, along
with regulations concerning non-point discharges from industrial areas.
Step 3 Procurement of Relevant Surface-water Quantity-
Quality Standards
• In some cases, there may be limitations on the amount and timing of water
usage from a given body of water.
• Water quality management policies may also be pertinent; examples of
such policies include anti-degradation goals, clean-up or remediation
goals, and/or goals for preservation of aquatic ecosystems and scenic
beauty.
• Typically, state water quality standards represent statewide goals for
individual water bodies and provide a legal basis for decision- making.
• The standards designated by Central Pollution Control Boards -CPCB) will
be based on the use or uses to be made of the water and set criteria
necessary to protect the water resources and environment in general.
• It should be noted that most water quality standards and water-use
restrictions are related to low-flow periods in the' river system.
Criteria in using of water for various purposes
A colour coding frequently used to depict the quality
of water on maps

IS 10500: 2012-DRINKING WATER — SPECIFICATION

http://cgwb.gov.in/Documents/WQ-standards.pdf

http://ismenvis.nic.in/Database/Environmental_Standards_7391.aspx
Step 4 Impact Prediction

• "Impact prediction" refers to the quantification (or, at least,

the qualitative description), where possible, of the

anticipated impacts of the proposed project on various

surface water environment factors.

• Because of the complex and dynamic nature of

hydrological systems accurate prediction of impacts is

often difficult and there are bound to be some

uncertainities which have to be recorded in the EIS.

The following considerations may be relevant to the prediction of
surface water quantity- quality impacts

1. Frequency distribution of decreased quality and quantity;

2. Effects of sedimentation on the stream-bottom ecosystem;
3. Fate of nutrients by incorporation into biomass;
4. Reconcentration of metals, pesticides, or radionuclides into
the food web;
5. Chemical precipitation or oxidation-reduction of inorganic
chemicals; and
6. Anticipated distance downstream of decreased water quality
and the implications for water users and related raw-water
quality requirements
Step 5 Interpretation of Impact Significance

• For protection and assessment of a significant impact by public opinion

collection there are a number of specific numerical standards or criteria.

• For example, a number efficient discharge standards are prescribed for

discharging into lakes or land with professional judgement.

• The application of the professional judgement in the context of assessing

impacts related to the biological environment;

• For example, the biological scientist in the study team would render

judgements as to the applicability of various laws and the potential

significance of the loss of particular habitats.

Step 6 Identification and Incorporation of Mitigation Measures

Measures to minimize detrimental effects on freshwater ecosystems

1. Sediments/silt:
• Collect in siltation traps, French drains, or siltation basins/ponds/lagoons
(maintenance is essential).
• Use vegetated buffer zones (30 - 100m), including wetlands, as filters.
• Phase major construction periods to avoid wet seasons Minimise disturbance
during construction or operation, e.g., reduce bare areas by zoning, and install
fences to protect adjacent areas.
• Avoid vegetation removal where possible Revegetate bare areas rapidly, using
temporary cover crops or mulches where necessary.
• Minimise dredging disturbance and erosion associated with bare areas, e.g.,
grade spoil heaps, and cover with tarpaulins.
2. Organic matter, nutrients and salt:
• Reduce silt inputs as above (P is primarily carried with silt).
• Reduce N inputs by minimizing soil disturbance.
• Encourage formation of wet organic soils (i.e., create wetlands, extensive
waterbody margin habitats, and wet woodland) to promote denitrification.
• In sewage treatment used nutrient stripping, tertiary treatments, separation of
effluents, storm overflows.
Measures to minimize detrimental effects on freshwater
ecosystems
3. Heavy metals, Micro organics, and other toxic materials:
• Treat or recycle industrial poilu 3nts at source, and monitor effluents.
• Reduce silt inputs (as above).
• Reed beds may remove or manage many industrial and domestic effluents but
proper design and maintenance is essential.
• Buffer zones (30 - 100m) may give a reprieve from diffuse pollutants but can lead
to long-term accumulation and/or release if these are not degradable.
• Minimise surface drainage from polluted areas.
• Reduce use where possible (e.g., of Pesticides).
• Test any fill material placed in surface waters during the construction phase.
• Ensure isolation of waste-storage facilities and landfill sites from surface and
groundwater bodies, and monitor for leachates.
• Discharge vehicle and other wash waters to foul sewers rather than surface-
water drains.
• Guard against accidental pollution by effective safety systems (with back-up) and
security systems against fire or vandalism where potential pollutants are stored
or delivered; contingency plans; and education/training of personnel.
Measures to minimize detrimental effects on freshwater
ecosystems
4.Oil:
• Install silt/petrol traps (gully traps) in road or parking areas and ensure a proper
maintenance.
• Bund or dike around temporary fuel/oil storage areas during construction.
• Vegetated buffer zones may retain petroleum products While they degrade.
• Guard against accidental pollution.
5. Acidification:
• Strip power station flue gases.
• Control afforestation and modify forestry practices.
• Avoid use of liming to increase the pH of waterbodies because of adverse effects
on the ecosystem.
6. Heat:
• Re-circulate and/or use to heat local buildings
Measures to minimize detrimental effects on freshwater
ecosystems
7. Changes in flow regime and aquifer recharge:
• It is difficult to reproduce natural flow conditions using physical structures; so
where possible, mimic natural processes by encouraging infiltration, e.g., use
vegetated areas, porous artificial surfaces, or detention basins.
8. Physical loss or other damage:
• Destruction or degradation of long-established semi-natural habitats should be
strongly resisted, since current technology and understanding are not sufficient
to allow full recreation.
• Whenever possible, the development should be relocated or rezoned.
• For other habitats, loss or damage may sometimes be minimized by retaining
key areas and protecting specific species migration routes, shelter and refuge
zones. Consider habitat creation or enhancement to ameliorate loss.