There are two sources of drinking water, surface water and ground water and they are each managed, monitored and regulated differently even though the actual water systems are interrelated and integrated. The state of Missouri has historically had plenty of high-quality fresh water sources; in the northern half of the state most of the drinking water comes from surface water while the majority of the southern population gets water from underground aquifers (Missouri Department of Natural Resources, 2010). The Missouri River and its alluvium wells provide more than half of the state’s residents with drinking water as most of the urban centers in the state are located along its course. Water from wells located adjacent to the Missouri River and the alluvium wells along the Mississippi River valley are of high quality because they are minimally affected by surface run-off pollutants (MO. DNR, 2010). Ground water is relatively clean prior to being brought to the surface by wells in most areas of the state and compared to surface water sources. Yet contamination does occur to ground water and it has the potential for serious health effects if not discovered and remedied quickly.
Two extreme examples of drinking water contamination in Missouri that caused multiple deaths occurred in the 1990’s. Each event exemplifies the need for strict water monitoring regulations and diligence from water suppliers and water users, regardless of the source of the water. The first occurrence discussed here happened in the small rural community of Cabool in the south, central region of the state and the second occurred in the extreme southeastern section, often referred to as the Bootheel, in another small town named Gideon.
The Cabool water contam...
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...pa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-WATER/2006/November/Day-08/w8763.pdf
Environmental Protection Agency. (2012). Public Drinking Water Systems Program Overview. Accessed at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/drinkingwater/pws/index.cfm
Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey. (2010). A Summary of Missouri Water Laws. Water Resources Report Number 51. Missouri State Water Plan Series, Volume VII.
O’Donnell, M., Platt, C. & Aston, R. (2000). Effect of a boil water notice on behavior in the management of a water contamination incident. Communicable Disease and Public Health. 3(1), 56-59.
Swerdlow, D.L., Woodruff, B.A, Brady, R.C., Griffin, P.M., Tippin, S., Donnell, D. . . . Blake, P.A. (1992). A Waterborne Outbreak in Missouri of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 with Bloody Diarrhea and Death. Annuals of Internal Medicine. 117(10), 812-819.
Going forward, the Court of Appeal’s decision in Garetson Brothers v. American Warrior will stand for the proposition that Kansas water laws mean what they say. Rather than consider any economic considerations, the only relevant factors will be who has the senior water right and whether an impairment has occurred. As groundwater becomes scarcer in Kansas, senior water users will likely find that Kansas laws will serve to protect their use over any junior water
INTRODUCTION: There are over 50 lakes and ponds in Cumberland County, Maine, all of various sizes and shapes. Many of these lakes serve different purposes, from hydrating plants to being a source of water for both animals and humans. With this responsibility, comes the question, are these ponds and lakes safe drinking water for animals and humans? Contaminated water poses a risk for both humans and animals.
"Water Pollution." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 5 May 2014.
On December 22, 2008 in Roane County, Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston Fossil Plant had a dike rupture releasing more the 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash into the Emory River. There were no recorded deaths or serious injuries , but the surrounding ecosystem was affected severely. The ash slurry contained heavy metals such as arsenic, barium, chromium, mercury, nickel and many more, all of which were released directly into water the ways. Preliminary tests of drinking water showed that the toxins did not affect it, however later individual organizations tests show high amounts of arsenic and other toxins in the water. Officials say that the discrepancy is due to original water test being done before the polluted water had a chance to reach Tennessee Valley Authority, water treatment plant. Authorities claim that the reason for the dam failure was due to the high rain fall and subzero temperatures. However, local residents are saying that they’d observed leakages ever since the plant was opened, as well as...
Norton, M. B, Katzman, D. M, Escort, P. D, Chudacoff, H. P, Paterson, T. G, & Jr. Tuttle, W.M.
The Drinking Water and Wastewater in Appalachia Analysis (2005) included a case study that described the problem of wastewater treatment and straight pipe discharges in the Appalachian Region. The study stated that even in communities served by public water systems, many of the systems have undersized, aging lines and treatment facilities and are hard-pressed to supply the existing population cluster, let alone to broaden coverage to a dispersed rural population (O’Dell, 2005). In numerous areas a declining customer base for water utilities, the result of emigration from central Appalachia to areas of the nation with better economic opportunities precludes sufficient revenues to upgrade or expand service.
Water has long been a controversy in countless places worldwide and Colorado is no exception. The water rights in Colorado involve different stages within the Prior Appropriation Law; the senior and junior water rights. Senior water rights are privileges that were the first to be issued on unappropriated streams in Colorado and are to be filled before the junior water right holders. Junior water rights are similar to senior water rights, but are filled after the senior water holders take their allotted amount (Wolfe Prior Appropriation Law). The water in Colorado is just that; Colorado’s water, owned by the people and restricted by the state. However, Colorado is required by law to send over 30 million acre – feet of water to seven western states (“Missouri River”). An acre – foot is “The quantity of water required to fill one acre with one foot of water and is equivalent to 43,560 cubic feet or 325,850 gallons” (“Missouri River”). The State enforces all water laws in Colorado even though they are not straightforward and are riddled with loopholes. These water laws came into effect “As early as 1879” (Hundley, Jr. 53). In the laws, there are even more constraints and idiosyncrasies including; owning ground water, owning surface water, senior rights and junior rights, and the use and reuse of rainwater or graywater. Water users in Colorado need to familiarize themselves with the laws and regulations involving water in order to receive the allotted water and the reasoning behind that number.
la Haye, K., Green, H. D., Kennedy, D. P., Zhou, A., Golinelli, D., Wenzel, S. L., & Tucker, J. S.
Imagine a world where all of our fresh water was polluted to the point where we couldn’t drink it. That is exactly where we are heading if we do not fix this epidemic that is hitting, not only America, but Iowa in particular. It is apparent that Iowa’s water is posing health concerns such as polluting the water, creating dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico, and affecting the population’s drinking water.
Through time, the water in the Flint River has been known to be of poor quality, and was severely degraded during the 1970s, due to "the presence of fecal coliform bacteria, low dissolved oxygen, plant nutrients, oils, and toxic substances." In 2001, the state of Michigan ordered the monitoring and cleanup of 134 polluted sites within the Flint River watershed, including industrial complexes, landfills and farms loaded with pesticides and fertilizer. According to a class-action lawsuit, the state Department of Environmental Quality was not treating the Flint River water with an anti-corrosive agent, which is in violation of federal law. The river water was found to be 19 times more corrosive than water from Detroit, which was from Lake Huron,
It is imperative that domestic water provided for direct consumption and ingestion through food must be sanitary. Scientific research indicates that as many as 19 million Americans may become ill each year due to parasites, viruses a...
Robert J., S., Bonnie, G., Sue, F., Douglas, R., Steven A., S., Todd, H., & ... Thomas E., K.
Pichert, J. W., Moore, I. N., Catron, T. F., Ross, J. C., Westlake, M. W., Karrass, J.,
The water crisis in Flint Michigan began as early as was as April of 2014. The crisis is concerning a small town called Flint, located at the bottom right of michigan were the majority of the population is African American. The issue began when the town 's water supply witch in past use to come from the detroit river water supply was switched over to the Flint river water supply. People soon began to complain about the taste, smell, and color of the tap water, and of symptoms such as hair loss and rashes from bathing in the water. Even though there were many signs that the water was indeed contaminated, such as when a General Motors plant in Flint stopped using municipal water in October of 2014, claiming that it corroded car parts, the government officials stated that the water was not a threat to the public 's health and safety. However it was later revealed that the water was in fact unhealthy, and contained too much lead. The issue was brought to the eyes of the public when Lee Anne Walters, a Flint resident. This mother of four had seen her family suffer from various alarming symptoms, including abdominal pains, hair loss, and rashes; she also has a son who showed signs of developmental problems. She decided to switch her family to bottled water, and the symptoms abated. Finally, in February of 2015, she demanded that the city test the tap water. A federal investigation was launched and the results came back shocking. The water was extremely toxic containing 400 parts per billion of lead. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there is no safe level of lead in drinking water, but the maximum allowed by law is 15 parts per billion. Virginia Tech professor and engineer Marc Edwards, an expert on municipal w...
Stuart, G. L., Moore, T. M., Elkins, S. R., O’Farrell, T. J., Temple, J. R., Ramsey, S. E.,