Water Pollution

Christopher Sutton
p.3
1/15/2015
In our society today people still do not understand the effects of water pollution.
Though many see it as a problem, they still do not know how to fix it, or prevent it. Most
people say that they need to stop loitering in the water to stop this problem. Although that
is a solution, this is not one of the main ways to conclude this problem. There are
however many reasons why our water is becoming polluted that cant naturally be
controlled. It is we the people that need to realize that there are possible ways to reduce
the effects of water pollution even though we may never be able to end this problem
completely. Some of the most simple yet under looked solutions such as turning off sinks
or taking shorter showers, disposing of chemicals correctly, and even using
environmentally safe cleaning liquids at home can help pose a start to this problem. These
easy tasks can make our water cleaner and healthier for the people around us.
There are many health effects that come a long with bad or unsanitary water that
people do not realize. Diseases such as Typhoid, Cholera, Paratyphoid fever, Bacillary
dysentery, infectious Hepatitis Poliomyelitis, and Amoebic dysentery are some of the few
health risks that are imposed upon humans. Not to mention the chemicals that can
contaminate our water such as Fluoride, Arsenic, Lead, petrochemicals, other heavy
metals, and chlorinated solvents that pose threats to humans. These problems need to be
stopped; they do not only harm humans, but also the plants and animals around us that we
need in order to survive. It has been recorded that forty percent of deaths are caused by
water air and soil pollution. There are 1.2 billion people who are lacking clean water
where about 80 percent of all infectious diseases are caused by water. Along with these
statistics an increase in water pollution creates breeding ground for malaria carrying
mosquitoes, which kill from the ranges of 1.2 million to 2.7 million people a year. The
more people pollute the water around us, the more diseases and deaths will be caused.
The problems imposed by water pollution can harshly affect the ecosystems
around us. It can kill off many of the species that may only thrive in that specific area or
those that are indicator species. These species need clean water to be able to survive in
their ecosystems and without it they will die off and possibly turn the habitat into a dead
zone, a place where no life exists. Though this is a problem there are ways to help in our
city such as defending the Clean Water Act imposed in 1972 to establish a basis of
pollution control. This act advocates for solutions such as green infrastructure, which
stops runoff from polluting water and using it for replenishing vegetation and
groundwater supplies. There are many ways in which we may not only prevent water
pollution, but also use the causes of it to benefit our lives and the planet. Using the
solutions towards green infrastructure can help benefit many people by cooling and
cleansing the air, reducing asthma and heat related illnesses, lowering heating and cooling
energy costs, boosting economies, and supporting American jobs.

People may ask how statistically has water pollution affected the people on our
planet? In China, approximately 980 million people out of the 1.3 billion people living
there drink water that is polluted. 98 percent of Chinas goes into rivers untreated and 93
percent of the United States surface water is polluted. These statistics pose convincing
evidence on the fact that there needs to be change and it needs to happen immediately.
You can never feel safe in your environment knowing that there are statistics like these
that may inhibit your well being and safety. As a traveler going to a foreign country, I
would like to know that my drinking water is safe to drink, that I will not get a disease, or
a sickness, that I will have no risks. Cleaning up our water is more than just doing the
simple things but will help further this planet that we live on.
Doing our part on this planet can help prevent any future problems that may come
and will make our surroundings a much better place to live. Nearly 14 billion pounds of
garbage is dumped into the ocean every year. This fact is mindboggling and what seems
to be obvious to people who try to stop this pollution is not as clear for others who do not
understand the risks. About 70 percent of our planet is covered by water. If we keep
polluting our water then massive amounts of organisms will not be able to survive. In
2011 the Tsunami in Japan created a 70km long island of debris, which is now floating in
the Pacific Ocean. The Tappan Zee Bridge in New York was filed in law suit when the
money that was going to be used for better water quality was going to fund their project.
We need solutions to cleansing these problems In Washington State, the department of
ecology has a water quality program that helps prevent water pollution. They properly
treat wastewater before other people reuse it, and help monitor places that are heavily
impacted by storm water and other dangerous effects. These types of programs can
benefit everyone for the greater good. It will help create a safer environment and
hopefully pose an importance towards society towards solving other problems.
I hope to further educate people on the problem that we stand against with water
pollution. That people all around the world will get a better grasp of its harmfulness and
start doing something about it. Together we can fight the problem that water pollution
imposes upon us and create a better and safer environment for everyone to live in. It all
starts with the simple things like throwing away your trash, turning off water so it does
not keep running and taking shorter showers that can make a huge difference and
promote a positive influence in our society. If we all work together we may come up with
new ways to prevent other global problems that we face. The time is now and we should
not waste it for if we wait too long there may be worse problems or there may be not
much water left for us to call sanitary. In the future I hope to see a more promising
world and society that acts on the problems that could cause global devastation and
forcefully provide care and responsibility towards preventing an outbreak. By helping
raise awareness about this situation, more people will be inclined to take a stand and
solve this problem and make our lives better and safer.

Works Cited
Nearing, Brian. "Tappan Zee Bridge Funding Foes Sue State." Web
blog post. The Green Blog. N.p., n.d. Web.
Water Pollution (short Film Documentary). Dir. John E. Cruz.
N.p., n.d. Web.
"Water." Water. N.p., n.d. Web.
<http://www.nrdc.org/water/>.