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Water Pollution Issues & Solutions

The World Wildlife Fund notes that only 0.4 percent of the earth's water is available for human use. The rest is in the oceans or in polar ice caps, glaciers and the atmosphere or is underground and hard to reach. The small percentage of usable water falls to the earth as rain after evaporating from oceans and lakes. However, people are polluting freshwater as if the supply were unending -- with devastating consequences.

  1. Point Source Pollution

    • The Environmental Protection Agency separates sources of water pollution into two categories: point and nonpoint. Wastewater treatment plants and manufacturing plants, for example, are in the point category. Industries from plastic and chemical manufacturers to steel production plants use water in their processes. In fact, according to 2001 data from the U.N. "World Water Development Report," in developed countries, industrial use accounted for 59 percent of water use. The discharge water, including chemicals used in the manufacturing process, often ends up in lakes and aquifers. Mercury is just one example of chemicals that are very toxic and take a long time to decompose.

    Environmental Protection Agency

    • In 1969, an Ohio river became so polluted it caught on fire. That got people's attention, and in 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, which allows the EPA to regulate the amount of pollution industries put into the country's water systems. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit program requires industries to obtain permits if their discharge water goes directly into surface water. The EPA sets standards for the amount of pollution industries can discharge and periodically checks to see that they meet the standards.

    Nonpoint Source Pollution

    • EPA's second category, nonpoint source pollution, includes runoff from farms, city streets and suburban neighborhoods. Oil from driveways, household cleaners and lawn fertilizers are just three examples of hazardous waste that rain and snowmelt carry to water supplies. According to the EPA, states report that nonpoint pollution is the leading cause of problems with water quality.

    Individual Responsibility

    • Because individuals make a significant portion of nonpoint pollution, it's up to individuals to prevent it. The Natural Resources Defense Council is one of many groups promoting individual responsibility. Among the 12 steps NRDC recommends is using nontoxic household products when possible and learning what products in the home are hazardous waste -- then disposing of them properly. A more ambitious approach to preventing nonpoint pollution is low-impact development, which includes green roofs and porous surfaces for parking lots to decrease the runoff in cities and towns.

    Wetlands

    • Nature has provided a way to clean dirty water -- the marshes, swamps, bogs and fens that make up wetlands. In addition to their many other benefits, wetlands filter the water that runs through them and absorb excess nutrients and pollutants. The U.S. has already destroyed half of the wetlands that existed in the 1700s, and wetlands are still disappearing. The remaining wetlands are vital to protecting water supplies. Individuals can identify nearby wetlands and learn about efforts to protect them.

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