VPE 511: Environment and Environmental Hygiene (2+1)

SURFACE WATER

•  Surface water is the natural collection of rain water, that has fallen on the earth, washed the surface and collected in the form of rivers and lakes. These are most common and economical sources under natural farming conditions, where there is a good rainfall. In the absence of good rainfall, most of these sources will be dried up.
• Surface sources in general provide a poor quality water sometimes the water may be dangerously polluted by manure and land washings.
• The quality of such water changes due to the influence of rain and sun.the lake water is highly impure even when it is freshly collected. The river water is least populated as its origin but as it travels it gathers impurities in the form of land washings and household sewage and various industrial effluents discharged into the river.
• Polluted river water when it travels more distance it undergoes certain amount of self purification, due to natural sedimentation, absorption of oxygen and oxidation, percolation into the beds and reappear in the form of springs.
• The exposure of vast sheet of water to the ultra -violet rays of the sun is also responsible for self purifications.
• The mineral content of the river water depends upon geological strata of the earth through which the water flows.
• The chemical character of river water is subjects of wide variation according to the nature of the gathering grounds and also to the different geological formations through which the river bed passes.
• Dissolved solids taken up in one are may be deposited in another area. The bacterial quality of water depends upon the amount of river pollution taking place and the chances given for self purification of water.
• Hygienic measures should be taken for the protection of surface water sources to prevent pollution and contaminations by preventing the mixing up of industrial wastes wash water from livestock farm and dwelling places.
• Public health acts as well as river pollution prevention act should be enforced undue pollution with sewage, industrial effluents should be checked.
• Gathering grounds or catchment are such as lakes should be protected by high raised wall/fencing, preventing unauthorized entry of livestock and human beings and should be maintained as per the public health regulations.