Post by Taylor on Apr 27, 2006 8:08:15 GMT -5
Growing population means possible contamination of aquifer
By César G. Rodriguez
April 20, 2006
The growing population of the North Side of San Antonio represents a threat to the Edwards Aquifer. The contamination concern is happening now, biology Lecturer Michael Flinn said. The risk of introducing contaminants — sewage, oil, gasoline, fertilizer and pesticides — into the aquifer grows with the population. If the water is contaminated, “There is no back-up plan,” Flinn said.
People wanting to build a residential area would like to grow grass by using fertilizers, Flinn said. After growing the grass, people want to keep insects down by using pesticides. Flinn said a residential area would also require a sewage system. Contaminating the aquifer may include the sewage system because it uses septic tanks that may spill.
The growing population requires a means of transportation. More people mean more cars. That signifies a potential risk of contamination of the aquifer. Routine tasks, such as filling up at a gas station or oil spills from cars, represent risks when the rain comes. Spilled oil can move through the soil into sink holes that filter water back into the aquifer, Flinn explained. Sink holes are caused by the dissolution of rocks over a long period of time. The process may take millions of years.
This city is the third largest in Texas and ranks eighth in the United States with a population of 1.24 million. The Edwards Aquifer Authority Web site reads, “The Edwards Aquifer is one of the major groundwater systems in Texas. It has been a source of water for people in South Central Texas for more than 12,000 years. Today, it is the primary source of water for approximately 1.7 million people.”
According to www.edwardsaquifer.net., an artesian well is a water well drilled into a confined aquifer where enough hydraulic pressure exists for the water to flow to the surface without pumping. As the population grows, it is moving north over the recharge and contributing zone, Flinn said. “People want to live in the Hill Country because it is pretty.”
The contributing zone is the area where water is collected through rainfall, Flinn explained. The recharge zone is an area full of sink holes, a typical feature of a karst aquifer that is composed of limestone and dolomite. According to the Webster’s New World College Dictionary, karst topography is a region made of porous limestone containing sinkholes and characterized by underground caves and streams.
In addition to providing water for this city, the aquifer also serves agriculture and houses several threatened species, such as Texas blind salamander, helotes mold beetle, the robber baron cave harvestman, and the robber baron cave spider.
www.theranger.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/20/444823bc760d3
By César G. Rodriguez
April 20, 2006
The growing population of the North Side of San Antonio represents a threat to the Edwards Aquifer. The contamination concern is happening now, biology Lecturer Michael Flinn said. The risk of introducing contaminants — sewage, oil, gasoline, fertilizer and pesticides — into the aquifer grows with the population. If the water is contaminated, “There is no back-up plan,” Flinn said.
People wanting to build a residential area would like to grow grass by using fertilizers, Flinn said. After growing the grass, people want to keep insects down by using pesticides. Flinn said a residential area would also require a sewage system. Contaminating the aquifer may include the sewage system because it uses septic tanks that may spill.
The growing population requires a means of transportation. More people mean more cars. That signifies a potential risk of contamination of the aquifer. Routine tasks, such as filling up at a gas station or oil spills from cars, represent risks when the rain comes. Spilled oil can move through the soil into sink holes that filter water back into the aquifer, Flinn explained. Sink holes are caused by the dissolution of rocks over a long period of time. The process may take millions of years.
This city is the third largest in Texas and ranks eighth in the United States with a population of 1.24 million. The Edwards Aquifer Authority Web site reads, “The Edwards Aquifer is one of the major groundwater systems in Texas. It has been a source of water for people in South Central Texas for more than 12,000 years. Today, it is the primary source of water for approximately 1.7 million people.”
According to www.edwardsaquifer.net., an artesian well is a water well drilled into a confined aquifer where enough hydraulic pressure exists for the water to flow to the surface without pumping. As the population grows, it is moving north over the recharge and contributing zone, Flinn said. “People want to live in the Hill Country because it is pretty.”
The contributing zone is the area where water is collected through rainfall, Flinn explained. The recharge zone is an area full of sink holes, a typical feature of a karst aquifer that is composed of limestone and dolomite. According to the Webster’s New World College Dictionary, karst topography is a region made of porous limestone containing sinkholes and characterized by underground caves and streams.
In addition to providing water for this city, the aquifer also serves agriculture and houses several threatened species, such as Texas blind salamander, helotes mold beetle, the robber baron cave harvestman, and the robber baron cave spider.
www.theranger.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/04/20/444823bc760d3