Study Water Conservation and Management Online with ACS Distance Education
- Learn to design, implement and assess water management plans and procedures
- Learn about the importance of water resources and how water conservation measures are used in different contexts.
- Improve your ability to design water conservation management plans in a wide range of industries.
Course Duration: 100hrs
Course Structure:
Lesson 1: Introduction to water conservation
Lesson 2: Water conservation at home
Lesson 3: Water conservation in the work place
Lesson 4: Water management
Lesson 5: Water conservation in primary production I
Lesson 6: Water conservation in primary production II
Lesson 7: Water conservation in the services industry
Lesson 8: Water conservation in the health industry
Lesson 9: Water conservation in other sectors
Lesson 10: Water treatment, reuse and recycling
Course Aims:
- Explain the importance of water in the world and the reasons for its sustainable conservation and management.
- Explain the importance of water conservation and methods to save water at the workplace.
- Explain the importance of water conservation and methods to save water at home.
- Explain water flow and quality control.
- Explain water audits and water management plans.
- Explain the importance of water conservation and methods to save water in Horticulture
- Explain the importance of water conservation and methods to save water in Agriculture.
- Explain the importance of water conservation and methods to save water in the Services Industry.
- Explain the importance of water conservation and methods to save water in the Health Industry and allied services.
- Explain the importance of water conservation and methods to save water in other occupations.
- Explain water sanitation and wastewater treatment methods and the difference with water reuse and recycling.
While studying this course you will:
- Learn to manage water quality
- Learn to manage and conserve water use
- learn to design and implement water management plans for work or home
- improve your career opportunities for specialising in water conservation in a range of fields.
Career Tips:
- What you know and what you have done will always count more than the qualifications you have.
- Study to learn -choose a course with the best learning -that will always trump everything else.
- Keep your skills current and relevant to trends in water conservation and management. Professional development is key.
- Join a networking group where you can get to know people already in the industry and build your contact list.
- Try to get experience in the field, whether paid or unpaid. This always looks good on a CV.
How to Keeping Water Clean
Drinking water for humans needs to be very clean; free of chemical and biological contaminants; as should any water we bathe in. We may not need to be as meticulous about drinking water for animals or irrigation water for plants; but inappropriate levels or types of disease organisms, or chemical contaminants are obviously not appropriate or desirable anywhere.
Air pollution, is unlikely to be a significant problem. Water collected in industrialised areas, or even run off from farmland may contain more pollutants than water collected in a pristine location. Manure, fertiliser, weedicides, pesticides and detergents, can all find their way into watercourses and subterranean water. In dry, arid locations, dust particles can become more of a problem than in other places.
Dust, pollutants and other types of contaminants can come off a roof and into tanks. When collecting rain water from a roof. It is important to ensure a roof and gutters are kept clean and free from fallen debris.
If unsealed, water tanks can become contaminated by insects such as mosquitoes, spiders, or beetles. Vermin like mice and rats may also fall in into the tank, as may birds.
All water tanks should be sealed and have a tightly fitting manhole cover for inspection purposes. Poorly stored water may also be detrimental to the land it is used on.
Your choice of fittings is also important. For drinking water, polyethylene and PVC pipes are probably the safest since they don’t leach toxins into your water. Brass and copper fittings can pollute your supply and are more prone to corrosion. Metal pipes often contain traces of lead.
In most cases, provided you have installed a clean and sealed system and your tank has a food grade liner, your water will be fine to drink.
Hints and Tips
• It is much cheaper to collect water from a reliable source than to treat poor quality water.
• Don’t drink cloudy or dirty water from tanks – get it tested.
• For drinking water - only use filters which comply with Australian Standards.
• Rainwater does not contain fluoride, bore water might.
• Flush out new tanks before storing water in them.
• Concrete needs to be cured before use.
• Concrete tanks left with no water inside are at risk of cracking.
• Don’t collect the water from a newly clad roof – let it run to waste.
Maintenance
Over time a layer of sludge builds up inside tanks. This is perfectly normal. It consists of solids and microorganisms which are usually perfectly safe. Sometimes harmful microorganisms may be found which can cause stomach upsets, diarrhoea and other symptoms.
Clean the tank out periodically. For large tanks once every two to three years is suffice. It may be possible to siphon out the sludge otherwise the tank will need to be emptied. This is known as ‘de-sludging’ and is not the most pleasant of jobs. For large fixed tanks, one person should get inside the tank and dig out the sludge into buckets, whilst another person oversees their safety and passes equipment back and forth. For smaller manoeuvrable tanks it may be possible to tilt them and hose them out. Some tanks have a cone shaped base and outlet which makes them easier to de-sludge.
If you rely on your rainwater tank for drinking water, then it is best to have two tanks so one can be cleaned whilst the other holds water. If you can’t de-sludge the tank, then you’ll need to treat the water with chlorine until you can.
Tasks
• De-sludge tanks every 2-3 years
• Clean gutter traps every 3-4 months
• Clean roof after storms
• Clean roof after bushfires
• Check system for leaks or cracks every couple of months
• Re-surface old tanks
• Get pumps service annually
Disinfection
If the water needs to be treated because you suspect it has been contaminated there are several options. The simplest method is to boil water before consumption. Clearly, this uses a lot of power and is inconvenient. Another option is to install a filter which the water passes through after leaving the tank. Sand filters, carbon filters, and UV filters are the usual options.
A simpler solution is to add chlorine. Add 40ml of sodium hypochlorite (12.5%) per 1,000 litres of water, or 7g of calcium hypochlorite (60-70%) to the tank and stir. The water must be left to stand for 24 hours before use. Thereafter, to maintain safe drinking water you can reduce the quantities added to 4ml or 1g for sodium hypochlorite and calcium hypochlorite respectively, and add it one a week. Let the water stand for 2 hours before use.
• Mix chlorine in a plastic bucket outside and stir thoroughly before adding to the tank
• Never add water to chlorine – always add the chlorine to the water!
• Never disinfect with stabilised chlorine (chlorine cyanurates)
• Wait for the chlorine smell to go before drinking
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