Sci207: Week 3 - Outline
Water Contamination and Disinfection
Tabatha Hatler
SCI 207: Dependence of Man On The Environment
Alisha Etheredge
September 8, 2013
Water Contamination and Disinfection
Introduction
Water contamination is vastly becoming an alarming issue across the world. We rely on clean water to survive, yet right now we are heading towards a water crisis. Changing climate patterns are threatening lakes and rivers, and key sources that we tap for drinking water are being overdrawn or tainted with pollution (www.nrdc.org). Clean and plentiful water is the cornerstone of prosperous communities. Yet as we enter the 21st century, swelling demand and changing climate patterns are draining rivers and aquifers and pollution is threatening the quality of what remains. NRDC is integrating our expertise in pollution prevention, water efficiency and climate change to sustain America's precious water resources, working to advance smart water efficiency policies to ensure that communities get the water they need while keeping our lakes, rivers, and streams full and healthy (www.nrdc.org). Many of our water resources also lack basic protections, making them vulnerable to pollution from factory farms, industrial plants, and activities like fracking (www.nrdc.org). This can lead to drinking water contamination, habitat degradation and beach closures. NRDC is working to protect our water from pollution by: • Drawing on existing protections in the Clean Water Act, and working to ensure that the law's pollution control programs apply to all important waterways, including headwater streams and wetlands, which provide drinking water for 117 million Americans; • Improving protections to reduce pollutants like bacteria and viruses, which threaten Americans' health and well-being; and • Establishing new pollution limits for top problem areas, such as sources of runoff and sewage overflows (www.nrdc.org).
Tabatha Hatler
SCI 207: Dependence of Man On The Environment
Alisha Etheredge
September 8, 2013
Water Contamination and Disinfection
Introduction
Water contamination is vastly becoming an alarming issue across the world. We rely on clean water to survive, yet right now we are heading towards a water crisis. Changing climate patterns are threatening lakes and rivers, and key sources that we tap for drinking water are being overdrawn or tainted with pollution (www.nrdc.org). Clean and plentiful water is the cornerstone of prosperous communities. Yet as we enter the 21st century, swelling demand and changing climate patterns are draining rivers and aquifers and pollution is threatening the quality of what remains. NRDC is integrating our expertise in pollution prevention, water efficiency and climate change to sustain America's precious water resources, working to advance smart water efficiency policies to ensure that communities get the water they need while keeping our lakes, rivers, and streams full and healthy (www.nrdc.org). Many of our water resources also lack basic protections, making them vulnerable to pollution from factory farms, industrial plants, and activities like fracking (www.nrdc.org). This can lead to drinking water contamination, habitat degradation and beach closures. NRDC is working to protect our water from pollution by: • Drawing on existing protections in the Clean Water Act, and working to ensure that the law's pollution control programs apply to all important waterways, including headwater streams and wetlands, which provide drinking water for 117 million Americans; • Improving protections to reduce pollutants like bacteria and viruses, which threaten Americans' health and well-being; and • Establishing new pollution limits for top problem areas, such as sources of runoff and sewage overflows (www.nrdc.org).
References: Bottcher, A., & Rex, A. (2012). Environmental science student manual. Sheridan, CO: eScience Labs. Gradwohl, J. (1995). Ocean planet: Oil pollution. Ocean Planet, Retrieved from http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/peril_oil_pollution.html http://www.louisvilleky.gov/LWC/WaterQuality/AdditionalWaterQualityInfo.htm http://www.nrdc.org/water/ Selhorst, A. (2013). Week two lab reporting form [Word file]. College of Liberal Arts. Ashford University. Turk, J., & Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary environmental issues. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.