lake Uses and abuses of lakesphysical feature

General considerations » Uses and abuses of lakes

In today’s industrial societies, requirements for water—much of which is derived from lakes—include its use for dilution and removal of municipal and industrial wastes, for cooling purposes, for irrigation, for power generation, and for local recreation and aesthetic displays. Obviously, these requirements vary considerably among regions, climates, and countries.

In another vein, it is convenient to use water to dilute liquid and some solid wastes to concentrations that are not intolerable to the elements of society that must be exposed to the effluent or wish to use it. The degree of dilution that may be acceptable varies from situation to situation and is often in dispute. In some cases, dilution is used purely to facilitate transport of the wastes to purification facilities. The water may then be made available for reuse.

Lake water is also used extensively for cooling purposes. Although this water may not be affected chemically, its change in thermal quality may be detrimental to the environment into which it is disposed, either directly, by affecting fish health or functions, or indirectly, by causing excessive plant production and ultimate deoxygenation due to biological decay. Both fossil- and nuclear-fuelled power plants are major users of cooling water. Steel mills and various chemical plants also require large quantities.