The Effects of Urban Development on Water Quality

Human life and the health of the planet depend on clean, healthy waterways. Urban development puts pressure on aquatic ecosystems, including drinking water supplies, that can threaten the health of the waterways.

Types

• Urban development places a number of pressures on waterways. Development involves the clearing and moving of land and soil, which increases erosion and leads to sedimentation and excess turbidity of waterways. The impervious surfaces created by large expanses of pavement and concrete send contaminated runoff into streams and rivers. Nutrients from lawn or agricultural treatments can wash into waterways an cause numerous problems. Sewage overflows send untreated human waste into streams and rivers.

Problems

• Urban development can lead to numerous water quality problems. Sedimentation raises water treatment costs and can suffocate fish or cause other health problems for aquatic life. Road runoff carries contaminants such as salt, oil and other hazardous chemicals, sometimes dumping them directly into waterways (see references 1). Untreated sewage carries disease-causing bacteria and other microbes into streams and rivers.

Prevention/Solution

• To help minimize your impact on water quality, dispose of chemicals properly, use lawn fertilizers and chemicals sparingly, clean up spilled vehicle lubricants and chemicals and minimize soil erosion on your property (see references 1). Municipalities need to plan and manage for protection of water quality near growing cities.