Pollution of Drinking Water Supplies Essays - 803 Words

It is widely known that water covers almost three-quarters of the Earths surface. However, it is not widely known that more than 99 percent of Earths water is unusable by humans and many other living things. Less than one percent of water which supports most of the forms of life we are familiar with. Unfortunately, that one percent of fresh water becomes more polluted every year. The pollutants that fill our waterways each year are largely unknown. Water pollution comes from a number of unique sources, such as industrial waste, urban storm-water, agricultural runoff, various household chemicals and even nuclear waste. Combining these points of pollution with the increase in global population results in a continuously decreasing†¦show more content†¦This rapid pumping has created huge sinkholes on the land surface in some areas. Overpumping in coastal areas like Florida has caused the water table to drop below sea level and has contaminated the freshwater with salty ocean water. Overpumping of rivers for agricultural and personal use has caused some rivers like the Colorado to dry up before it reaches the ocean. This not only harms the ecosystems found around the rivers, but also prevents essential nutrients from rivers from entering the ocean, depriving fisheries of food and in turn hurting the oceans food chain. The end result of this is a loss in biodiversity and interruption in the food chain. Irrigation of land with water from these rivers leaves the soil full of salts, resulting in the land being unable to produce as much as it would have. In 1972, Congress enacted the Clean Water Act to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nations waters. One goal of the Act is to ensure all our sources of water are clean enough to drink and swim in. To date, roughly 65% of our waters meet this goal. Although Congress has enacted a number of public health programs to stabilize the problem, there is still much work that needs to be done. One point of control the Clean Water Act established involved a federal and state partnership to control the discharges from large industrial sourcesShow MoreRelatedThe Factors Affecting Safe Drinking-Water (Planning and Essay Basic)1485 Words   |  6 Pagesaffecting safe drinking water: Describe and explain the different factors effecting access to safe drinking water. (10 marks) Planning and Notes: * From 1996 – 2006 +/- 1.56 billion people gained access to improved drinking-water sources. * Today 87% people drink from improved water sources compared to 77% in 1990. Physical factors that affect safe drinking water: * Amount of precipitation * Seasonal distribution of precipitation * Physical ability of the surface area to store water E.g. 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