How Public Drinking Waters Can Be Contaminated

Water pollution is another type of pollution. It occurs when chemicals or harmful substances are put into the water. Some of the most common causes of air pollution are when industries dump their waste into bodies of water. According to the EPA the most usual contaminants in the united states are bacteria mercury phosphorus and nitrogen. Agriculture runoff,air deposition water diversons and channelization of streams are the common sources. Contaminated drinking water causes diseases such as Typhoid, Amoebiasis, Giardiasis, Ascariasis and Hookworm. It also increases risk of getting certain types of cancers, hormonal problems, damage to the nervous system, damage to both liver and kidney, DNA damage and exposure to

whomever it may concern, I would like to offer my comments involving an EPA regulation and how it can be improved. I believe that the Safe Drinking Water Act is not producing water that is safe enough for all Americans to drink, while leading many to believe that the water that they are drinking is as clean as possible. This is shown very clearly by the water that is produced in Flint, Michigan. This water is visibly discolored by the lead and other contaminants that are in the water and there a=have been many reports of children and adults who are suffering some serious symptoms of lead-poisoning. Despite these very real negative effects of the lack of proper filterage of this water, there is very little that can be done because the water technically meets the standards that are put out by the Safe Drinking and Water Act.

There are three main mechanisms by which the chemical composition of groundwater, which is our natural source of drinking water, may be changed: by natural processes, by man's waste-disposal practices such as those for sanitary wastes, liquid industrial wastes, solid wastes, and radioactive wastes, and by spills, leaks, and agricultural activities and other sources unrelated to disposal. The degree of risk posed by contaminants varies according to many factors. These include the volume and toxicity of the contaminant, its concentration in the aquifer, its persistence in the environment, and the degree of human and environmental exposure to the contaminant. In addition, the number of persons affected, or likely to be affected, over time and the percentage of available groundwater both locally and regionally should be taken into consideration. If the contaminants in the groundwater exceed the standards set for drinking water by the federal government, for example, then the water is hazardous for the use for which it was designated under the standards. These standards include, however, only a limited number of chemicals, and thus they do not necessarily protect humans or the environment against either the short-term or the long-term effects of every contaminant that might be found in

While steps have been taken by the government to help bring standards to water treatment and wastewater treatment plants some of the contaminants seep into the water supply after it has been filtered. The US Environmental Protection Agency has issued standards for drinking water with policies like the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, but the standards are not foolproof and some municipalities are not in compliance with the standards. Another problem is the cost of setting up better filtration systems to catch some of the contaminants that are not being filtered at the present time.

There has been an increased presence within the water of toxic chemicals, metals, and disease causing microorganisms throughout the years. In general, the main cause of water pollution is the sewage pipes as well as the factories which are slowly becoming more in control. Although the contamination of water has slowly began to be stopped there is still heavy contamination from the waterways from the farmlands which tend to carry fertilizers, pesticides, as well as organic matter. Rain is a major contributor to water contamination from the different acids and heavy metals which fall with the rain contribute to the water

How would it sound to take a bunch of medication that will alter your body chemistry against your will? Not enjoyable. That is what is happening to thousands, if not millions, of aquatic species. Pharmaceuticals are being disposed of in ways such as flushing them down toilets which transport them into waterways. There is not a filtration system in place to remove pharmaceuticals and they are even finding their way back into the drinking water of humans. There are no proper disposal systems implicated worldwide and it is causing the genetic makeup of animals to be changed as the chemicals leak into their homes.

My research question is how can I prevent/extract contaminated water. The purpose of my experiment is to find a good way to extract oil from water. My reason for asking this question is because I love animals and I want to keep them safe. Also, when I went on a whale watching trip I loved watching them jump with their calves in the blue waters and I don't want the whales dying just because we aren't careful about what we put in the ocean.

Domestic wells are usually shallower than public wells and are more susceptible to contamination from surface waters (Kumar et al., 2010). From 1971-2008, private wells were responsible for 67 percent (n=40) of reported outbreaks from groundwater (Wallender et al., 2013). Contamination of the groundwater that feeds drinking water wells results from infiltration from rivers, septic tank leach fields, and leaking sewer lines (all sewer lines leak). Cross contamination with septic system wastes due to poor design, maintenance or improper spacing is listed as the primary cause. Contamination of groundwater is reportedly widespread (Auld et al., 2004; Curriero et al., 2001; Fong et al., 2007; Thomas et al., 2006; Tornevi et al., 2015) and

Many Americans may suffer from drinking contaminated water and not even know it. For example, In Flint Michigan, they were once getting a nice clean water supply from Lake Huron, but they had to pay the city of Detroit. So the city council decided they could cut costs by using the water from the Flint River. The river was known to the local people as filthy and thought that it was a joke switching to the river water. Once they switched their water supply to the river they had noticed the water was brown and looked dirty. After testing they found out the river water was nineteen times more corrosive compared to the Lake Huron water since it so corrosive it eats at the water. With 50% of the water lines in Flint Michigan being lead this also

The United States is heading to Third World country status in warp speed after the findings of the Flint water crisis. Have you ever imagined that the United States would have an issue of water contamination within our own water supply systems? The Flint water crisis was an act of ignorance and a water war between City of Flint and Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). The greatest water war in Michigan’s history was contributed to vast pollutions of water. In April 2014, Flint started using the Flint River as it new water source. A state expert said, "The quality of the water being put out meets all of our drinking water standards, and Flint water is safe to drink” (Bosman, J., Davey, M., & Smith, M., 2016). General Motors plant in Flint, Michigan also complained that the water was corroding new car parts and even stopped using Flint water in October 2014. Flint water contributed to the mass poisoning of over 100,000 Flint

The Facts about Nonpoint Source Pollution Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is contamination that originates These sources are tricky to accurately identify, because once someone pollutes, even inadvertently, the toxins travel into the water supply in runoff. Rainfall, melting snow, and irrigation are examples as to how runoff transfers contaminants into streams and lakes. To mitigate and potentially stop this damage, ecoengineers make recommendations to government agencies about how to reduce NPS pollution. It takes many years for this pollution type to adversely affect the ecosystem and just as many years to repair the damage. NPS pollution is the biggest water pollution problem in the United States. The EPA cannot quantify the exact damage caused by nonpoint source pollution, but it cites that these contaminants taint drinking water, can make water features unsafe and injure marine

Another reason why water may be polluted is because the prices of water are too low which allows us to abuse and waste it, and use it excessively and incorrectly. As Louie Glinzak said in The Case for Water Privatization, “The study analyzed the prices charged by water utilities in 132 major cities worldwide and found that 39 percent of water utilities had average tariffs that are set too low to cover basic operation and maintenance costs.” We see here that the low prices can’t even cover the expenses of cleaning our water. Unsafe water causes many diseases and even deaths! “12 million people die annually. 3 million children die each year of a water-related disease that could have been prevented” (Segerfeldt).

Water Quality and Contamination Introduction Body Paragraph #1 - Background: Humans use about 75 gallons of water a day for activities, such as cooking, cleaning, bathing, and laundry. Not only do we use water for our own well-being but we also use water to keep animals that we eat healthy and maintain vehicles that we drive on an everyday basis. Only three percent of the water on earth is suitable for drinking, where two percent of water is found only in glaciers and ice and one percent of the world’s water is accessible and drinkable. The majority of the human body is compromised of water. “An adequate supply of safe drinking water is one of the major prerequisites for a healthy life…(Fawell and Nieuwenhuijsen 2003) The quality of drinking water and possible associated health risks vary throughout the world with some regions showing, for example, high levels of arsenic, fluoride or contamination of drinking water by pathogens, whereas elsewhere these are very low and no problem.”

Water Quality and Contamination Introduction Background: Drinking water is vital to the health and well-being of human life, without it, life does not exist. Human bodies are composed of 60 percent water. Drinking healthy water is important to maintain a healthy balance of body fluids. Tap water and bottled water in general are safe to drink, the question is how safe and what are you willing to pay to consume healthy, safe water. Most Americans assume the Environmental Protection Agency is protecting our citizens by monitoring water quality, contaminant levels and potential health effects. Burke (2016) noted, “This was not the case for residents of Flint, Michigan, where citizens were exposed to high levels of lead because of government

One of the most common problems with the presence of excess water in communities, whether via tropical storms or coastal flooding, is where the water goes and what is in that water.