Reduce Pollutants From Stormwater Runoff “Most cities do not take sufficient measures to prevent run-off. According to the EPA, 40 percent of US rivers and lakes surveyed do not meet water quality standards. Urban run-off is one of the key culprits” (UN Water, 2016, para. 14). Stormwater runoff runs down such things as roads and yards that causes dangerous pollutants to enter and create damages to our water and wildlife. Runoff is the number one cause of water pollution and in order to stop it we must first understand it. Stormwater runoff carries pollution that can affect anyone or anything, and may be solved through an educated, and voluntary public action to stop pollutants from entering our waters.
Background
Stormwater runoff is the
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If the public doesn’t take matters into their own hands, water pollution can and will have long term effects. According to UN Water (2016), “Within about 10 years most people on the planet will face life with water shortages. Half the world’s major rivers are being seriously polluted and/or depleted” (para. 1). One of the main reasons for this depletion of water is from the effects of pollution in stormwater runoff. By not taking care of our environment, actions like clearing forests can cause erosion to wash into our rivers or lakes if we 're not careful. Also land left exposed or undergoing construction is vulnerable for increased rates of erosion to flow into our waters creating pollutants such as …show more content…
According to the Stormwater Equipment Manufacturers Association (2015), “when metals and organics enter stormwater and are carried to the watershed, they are toxic to fish and other forms of aquatic life. Urban stormwater runoff is not alone in causing these impacts; industrial and agricultural runoff are contributors to water quality impairment” (para. 3). It is very hard for fish to survive in polluted waters. About 20 percent of the 10,000 fish we have known or do know are extinct due to the high levels of pollutants in rivers and lakes today. Unless we act upon this issue of stormwater runoff, many more of the species of freshwater fish will also become
Pollution comes in many forms. In the ocean we dump a variety of substances, including human wastes, chemicals from fertilizers, oil, and trash such as plastic which all contribute to the growing issue of our ocean pollution. In addition to, our usable waters are finite. More than 97.5 percent of the water on this planet is undrinkable salt water; the remaining 2.5 percent has two-thirds of the usable fresh water locked up in glaciers, snow, and permafrost. Of the one-third of freshwater that is available for human use, 20 percent is used for industrial use. (“Water Pollution”) “In effect, water pollution reduces the volume of water available for use by human and other populations.” (Robin Clarke, Jannet King) Knowing that there are approximately 7.2 billion people and growing on this planet with only 0.83 percent of available for our use wouldn’t you want to do everything possible to help put an end to water pollution? (worldometers)
Water pollution is a very serious problem as it affects one of the most essential ingredients to our very livelihood. The earth is covered in water, in fact about 70% of the Earth is covered in water, only
Storm waters are widely used in many different areas, even required in some. They are a vital tool that helps keep streams healthy. Storm water ponds are used to capture, control, and filter all kinds of runoff that could be from anything like parking lots to roof tops. The use of storm water ponds is essential to slow the flow of water down, filter out toxins, and improve the health of streams for aquatic life and for consumption purposes. All of that is in efforts to protect local streams.
Cities in Southern California are trying to stop urban pollution from making its way into streams and rivers. Cracking of sewer pipes and pet feces are both sources of contamination that make their way into the San Diego River. Water samples taken for testing and monitoring contained levels of fecal material that were not safe to humans. (Water Quality in 2016: San Diego County Watersheds) San Diego’s water quality index scale was listed as fair (a score of 72) indicating that the water quality is significantly impacted by pollution even though the watershed score improved a little for the first time since
For decades tourists and local beach goers have been flocking to Southern California in search of an inviting environment to relax and enjoy all the amenities a coastal climate has to offer. Yet despite the beauty and breathtaking atmosphere, many unforeseen factors may alter your perspective in regards to how frequently you visit these beach locations. In its current state many beach destinations surrounding the Orange County, California area are susceptible to urban runoff bringing copious amounts of pollution to the waterfront. As it stands urban runoff is attributing to the decline of water quality in numerous locations like Doheny Beach and Poche Beach, which for several years now have remained present on Heal the Bay’s Top 10 Beach Bummers list. With two of Orange Counties own beaches being present on the Top 10 list, it is now apparent that there is a breakdown in the system in regards to policies responsible for controlling runoff headed to the ocean.
Obviously, pollution has increased based on the tasks, we as humans do. Focusing in on the bodies of water in Wisconsin, the polluted runoffs have become common. From an article titled Wisconsin’s Lakes at Risk, it states, “Runoff pollution contributes to the fact that 380,000 acres of Wisconsin’s lakes and reservoirs and more than 3,300 miles of streams and rivers are polluted and unable to support all the activities for which we rely on water: swimming, fishing, and supporting wildlife” (https://frontiergroup.org/reports/fg/wisconsins-lakes-risk). The polluted runoff and the amounts of the bodies of water that are effected, causes many water sources to be unavailable for human and wildlife use. Ultimately, the bodies of
There are many causes of water pollution, and the effects on the environment are directly related to the primary cause of the pollution. Therefore, each cause has to be examined for harmful effects. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration states nutrient pollution, "can lead to more serious problems such as low levels of oxygen dissolved in the water" (3). The dissolved oxygen levels being low lead to aquatic life dying. Nutrient pollution also can cause algae blooms which cause serious environmental problems affecting aquatic ecosystems, and which can cause dangerous health issues for animals and humans. Water pollution caused by sewage is an environmental problem. When sewage pollutes water it can be dangerous especially if it enters people 's source of drinking water as author Woodford states, "It is possible to catch illnesses such as hepatitis, typhoid, and cholera from river and sea water" (4). Chemical and radioactive runoff can be dangerous to humans as well. When water that is contaminated by chemicals is consumed by humans it can lead to sickness, paralysis or even death depending on the kind of chemical polluting the water and the concentration of the pollutant in the water. The Flint Crisis is an example of the damaging effect of chemical runoff, as the Flint communities ' water was contaminated by the lead pipes that carried the water resulting people in the affected communities ending up with lead poisoning. The environment and the animals are also impacted by chemical and radioactive runoff, increasing the death of organisms and decreasing biodiversity(3). Oil runoff water pollution is yet another example of water pollution. The effects oil runoff has on the environment are especially debilitating. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico for example, hurt not only aquatic life, but also land animals. The oil would get on to anything that touched the
Water pollution has had devastating effects on the environment, which include irreversible effects to the oceans ecosystem. People often underestimate the importance of the ocean. They don’t realize how much damage pollution has caused to the ocean and the thousand of creatures that inhabit it. Earth is a huge place, but resources are actually very limited and will not last forever; unless there is a balance. We must protect the resources we have in order for them to last into the next generation. Every time we throw away a plastic bottle, drive our cars, and even burn those millions of fossil fuels to operate all those huge factories, there is a chance it will pollute the ocean and eventually effect the way we live. There should be stricter laws regulating human pollution, in order to protect our oceans ecosystem.
The Earth’s surface is covered by over two-thirds of water. With half of the world being covered by water; pollution in the water is a very big crisis that can actually be reduced to some extent. Water pollution is a human problem because it seems to be a recent development that started round the end of the 19th century. Scientists say that “humans have limits with an estimated 7 billion people on the planet, and pollution is a sign of exceeded pollution. According to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) pollution is a serious problem. “Pollution from toxic chemicals threatens life on this planet. Every ocean and every continent, from the tropics to the once-pristine polar regions, is contaminated." Now that we know how serious it is, let’s talk about what pollution is, what causes it, the effects, and how we can help.
Water pollution is always one of the major concerns for environmental engineering. Toxic water sources can be a critical problem, it will endanger some species or even the whole eco-system. Also, it might cause various problem of human's health. Water pollution can be caused by different reasons such as acid rain, runoff of fertilizer, industrial wastes etc. Treatment of water is necessary to prevent such pollutants. Engineers have several ways to measure the quality of water
A single water drop traveling from any river to any ocean is influenced with more than one hundred toxic chemicals and thousands of industrial pollutants. This is what people call water pollution, occurring in any state, country or continent. Unfortunately, throughout the centuries, water pollution has been an ongoing problem, mainly caused by the release of industrial toxins and chemicals. People around the world believe that plastic and metal make up the vast majority of this issue, but as years have come and gone, the quantity of chemicals released by small and large facilities are now the leading cause of water pollution. Although industries need to release waste somewhere, they should avoid putting it in waterways because it impacts the
On the one hand, water pollution poses serious threats to people’s living and health conditions. For example, according to the US Geological Survey, California has one-fifth of the water supply systems exceed the standard amount of perchlorate in the past decade. Some remote schools in Tulare County have denied students access to drinking fountains, and a school district of 260 students spends $ 10,000 or more per year on drinking water. The school will order bottled water, store and distribute it to each classroom, and collect empty bottles（Worldjournal）. A case in point is when the water resources are polluted in California, the state’s development would also be damaged. Firstly, the citizens’ living quality would be declined，because of water is so indispensable in people’s daily
For many years, it was believed that the occurrence of surface runoff was primarily controlled by the infiltration characteristics of the ground; whenever the rainfall rate exceeds or surpasses the soil's infiltration capacity, runoff is generated. Horton (1933, 1940) was responsible for some of the early foundational work for this concept and hence the process is referred to as Hortonian runoff. Horton (1943) also recognized that surface runoff rarely occurs on soils well protected by forest cover due to “somewhat unusual conditions”.
Water Pollution is a current issue that has serious consequences; it progresses everyday in our lakes, oceans, rivers and other bodies of water.
Neighborhoods that are adjacent to water ways but only experience sporadic flooding events could be located in a hydrological region which is advantageous for preemptive flood control management. City planners have a variety of options for controlling urban water ways and each option has advantages and disadvantages. One major consideration will be cost of the water management project verses the perceived benefits of decreased flooding events. Flood control projects need to consider the neighborhoods affected and the total costs incurred by the municipality and the in...