Which of the following solutions for creating access to clean water can affect the environment by overdrawing Item 13 groundwater? (1 point).
• treating wastewater
O desalination
O drilling wells
• adapting dew
• drilling wells
The solution that can affect the environment by overdrawing groundwater is drilling wells.
To determine which of the listed solutions can affect the environment by overdrawing groundwater, we need to understand what each solution involves.
1. Treating wastewater: Treating wastewater involves removing contaminants and pollutants from used water to make it suitable for reuse or discharge into the environment. This process does not directly involve the use of groundwater, so it does not contribute to overdrawing groundwater.
2. Desalination: Desalination is the process of removing salt and other impurities from seawater or brackish water to produce freshwater. The most common method of desalination is through reverse osmosis, which involves forcing water through a membrane to separate the salt and impurities. This process does not involve overdrawing groundwater, as it uses seawater or brackish water as the source and does not require groundwater extraction.
3. Drilling wells: Drilling wells is a conventional method of accessing groundwater. It involves drilling a hole into the ground to reach an underground water source. Overdrawing groundwater occurs when more water is extracted from the aquifer or underground source than is naturally replenished. Therefore, drilling wells has the potential to contribute to overdrawing groundwater, depending on the rate and volume of extraction.
4. Adapting dew: This option refers to the practice of capturing and collecting dew as a water resource. Dew forms naturally on objects during the early morning hours when the temperature drops. Collecting dew does not involve accessing groundwater, so it does not contribute to overdrawing.
Based on this information, the solution that can affect the environment by overdrawing groundwater is "drilling wells."