A Proposal to Protect Drinking Water Quality Essay

Not only is pollution the cause of the death of many organisms essential to ecological balance, but human drinking water has also been affected.

Chemicals harm the growth of plants and animals, chemicals can lead animals to death. Many of the water animals

As you all may know president-elect Donald Trump will soon be inaugurated, congress plans to cope with the lame-duck period which is the post obama era. The government is preparing bills that will help things run smoothly for him when he enters office. One of the things top on their list is the water systems in cities that are poisoned by lead. The Congress plans to introduce many bills that will help the country run better and help more people out.

Water pollution has become a huge factor in the crisis of earth contamination. It is defined as the addition of harmful chemicals to natural water. Sources of water pollution include industrial waste, marine dumping, global warming, oil pollution,

Water pollution, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund, “happens when toxic substances enter water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans and so on, getting dissolved in them, lying suspended in the water or depositing on the bed.”1 In 1948, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act was passed by congress, but was later amended in 1972 in response to great public outcry—this amended document is what is now known as the Clean Water Act.2 Despite these national efforts, in a report released by the Environment America Research & Policy Center in 2014, Virginia was listed as one of the top five states with the largest discharge of toxic substances into waterways, documented at over eleven million pounds.3 Furthermore, in a 2014 report conducted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, it was found that the water pollution has spread throughout sixteen-thousand miles of the state’s rivers.4

The most common cause of pollution is storm water runoff. Water from rain and snow runs off driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and roads into streams from

Often, toxic substances are being drained into the air, waterways, and undergrounds wells. According to the report by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 60 million pounds of deadly chemicals are produced by industries in Florida. Notably, Florida’s water has been suffering mercury contamination until the state’s department of migration issues a circular regularly for regulations of eating freshwater fish in the region (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). In fact, such metals emanate from coal combustion’s emissions which run into water bodies. Not to mention, pesticides and herbicides utilized by government and homeowners pollute the environment (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). Indeed, all chemicals released into the atmosphere find themselves in rivers.

When the Freshman Biology classes originally tested the water quality of the UHS creek, it was found to be excellent. However, not all creeks have excellent water quality. Humans can impact water quality when fertilizers and pesticides that are sprayed on plants wash into the rivers and creeks. The extra chemicals will bring down the quality in the water. Certain factories use river water to cool down or power their machines. The dirty or used water is put back into the river. If the water has any chemicals or dirt in it then it will cause the water quality to decrease. A lot of people hurt the water without realizing. What are some natural solutions to fix the damage done to the water? (http://www.lenntech.com/rivers-pollution-quality.htm)

Everyday pesticides are dumped into our environment. Over time most of the pesticides make thier way to a source of water, whether it's groundwater or a body of water. According to Lewis Regenstein author of "America the Poisoned" two thirds of the nation's lakes have serious pollution problems. 80% of 3,700 urban lakes in the United States are destroyed. More than 94 million residents could use these lakes for recreational use or for a source of water (169). Cincinnati's drinking water contains about 700 chemicals. 90% of them did not exist 20 years ago. The main sources of most of these chemical pollutants are municipal sewage, industrial discharges, and runoffs from farming areas. There are also several other chemicals in America's drinking water. Although hazardous, there are approximately 60 chemicals that are mixed into water in the process of treating it. Unlike rivers or lakes, underground supplies are not processed at treatment plants before being used by humans. "More than one hundred million of our citizens depend in a whole or in part on underground as sources of drinking water (Beck qtd. in Regenstein 172). Once groundwater becomes contaminated, there is usually no way to clean it.

All around the world, countries are fighting to keep their drinking water clean. Whether it’s streams, rivers, or lakes, countries have taken great measures to maintain high quality drinking water for both human consumption and animal consumption. Countries must first understand the sources of the polltion, then determine the best methods to eliminate the pollution. Clean drinking water is a valuable resource and a the key to human survival. Plants and animals also depend on water for their growth, so all water must be kept clean. The major contributors to water pollution can be classified in three categories, industrial, agricultural and municipal.

Nonpoint sources are the leading contributors to water pollution in the United States, the largest of which is agriculture. Contributing factors are the use of fertilizer, tile drainage, and the need to feed a growing global population. Polluted water is the root of many environmental problems. Eutrophication, hypoxia, and algae blooms are caused by an excess of

"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children."    Kenyan proverb.

Current conventional farming practices are also responsible for many pollution problems that would not exist otherwise. The land where we live and grow our food, the water we drink, and the air we breathe are all being contaminated. The large amounts of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers used on our crops are poisoning the soil, air, and water. Toxic heavy metals such

A reason that water pollution is a problem today is because many people don’t realize that they are hurting out water supplies when they really are. There are many pollutants that hurt our water supply such as farming. When farmers spray their fields with chemicals and apply fertilizers. Some of these chemicals reach the river, and animal urine and manure may be washed into the river. Another cause of water pollution is from accidents, such as tanker spills. Accidents with chemicals may cause river pollution as well. Mining can be another cause because the dusts and minerals get washed into the rivers. Seepage is another cause of water pollution. Because chemicals from waste dumps join the groundwater flow into the river. Urban Wastes is a major cause because the sewage comes from toilets, sinks, and industrial processes. This causes many human diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis, and cholera.

Agriculture affects water resources in two ways: irrigating fields using surface waters or aquifers diverts water from other potential uses; and when farming practices pollute surface waters and aquifers, they reduce the amount of water that is suitable for other uses. The US Environmental Protection Agency has blamed current farming practices for 70% of the pollution in the nation’s rivers and streams. The agency reports that runoff of chemicals, silt, and animal waste from US farmland has polluted more than 173,000 miles of waterways. Agriculture accounts for about two-thirds of all water use worldwide, far exceeding industrial and municipal use (Spooler 310). In many parts of the world, irrigation is depleting