Mitigation Strategies and Solutions for Water Resource Sustainability 1

Mitigation Strategies and Solutions for Water Resource Sustainability

William Williamson University of Phoenix AAEV0I70O4; SCI 275 Lyle Henson July 28th, 2009

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The issues that I believe is in most need of solving is the pollution that is dumped or spilled in our oceans as well as what runs off from land causing damaging effects in which destroy many valuable aspects of our environment. Water pollution has become an increasingly high dilemma in which if not taken care of and prevented we as a world could lose our most valuable and abundant resource. This issue originated from the dumping and spills of materials when in transport from one side to another within the earth. The many individuals that dump even one single object into the ocean adds up when considering a world population that is so vast as ours drastically multiplies the number of objects thrown into the ocean per day.

In fact, half the country's population depends on groundwater for drinking. Annual withdrawals of drinking water have more than doubled since 1950. [1] The demand for water grows at an estimated rate of 2.4% per year since 70s in which agriculture is responsible for 70% of the worldwide water withdraws, however, on a smaller geographic scale this figure ranges from as high as 90% in the lowest-income developing countries to less than 50% in some developed countries. But the demand for water for industrial and municipal use is expected to double in the next 25 years, leading to growing competition with agricultural water needs. Agriculture's share may decline as a result. [3]

The total water resource available to us is 97% oceanic type waters, which are too salty for any productive uses in which two-thirds happen to be locked up in polar icecaps and the like. The remainder of our water resources is found in rivers and lakes in which is less than 100,000

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ck, which is the major contributor of the usable supply of water. Spokesman James T. B. Tripp of the Environmental Defense Fund Inc. stated, The evidence of increasing groundwater contamination requires a federal response. He cites the relationship of surface and groundwater and the interstate nature of many of the larger aquifers as reasons for developing a national groundwater protection strategy. [1]

The major issue that surround water resources have been being ignored for decades while many continue to spill and dump waste, materials and chemicals into our waters, which causes many significant issues among many oceanic life as well as the healthiness of our water resources which directly affect our species as well. Many animals as well as plants within the oceans that are beginning to suffer and decrease in population, which over fishing and other harvesting of materials like oil and minerals directly affect all living things within its surroundings by decreasing food, shelter and polluting the surroundings.

In fact, within a half-century after WWII irrigation spread massively spanning from 90 million hectares to 270 million hectares in which an annual compound growth rate of over 2.5%. Most of the irrigated land is in the developing countries; over half is in Asia. [3] Irrigation is beneficial in many ways by providing us with more wealth, lower food pricing and further the developing progress of our economical as well as agricultural environment; however despite the benefits of irrigation it can also cause many serious issues within our environment. Irrigation development has led to social and environmental problems such as salinization of soils,

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pollution of aquifers by agrochemicals, loss of wildlife habitats, and the forced resettlement of those previously living in areas submerged by reservoirs. [3]

Positive or negative human impacts affect all bodies of water in which water contamination naturally occurs, which does not affect our resources as it is minimal contamination; however the way humans live causes much damage as water run-off as well as littering and dumping causes much contamination in which destroys the surrounding life as it becomes unusable or unhealthy for all living organisms. In many Table 1.1- Contamination List aspects water pollution has a severe impact on land and in the sea in which the EPA stated, The Coastal environments are strongly influenced by upstream sources of pollution and freshwater inflow. Marine debris, solid material directly or indirectly deposited into an aquatic environment is a major problem, according to EPA. The debris can be detergent bottles, plastic, hazardous medical wastes, and other materials. 50% of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of the coasts."[4] Farmers of 10 use chemicals to hinder bug infestations or other diseases from damaging or ruining their crops. They may also use chemicals to enhance the growth of their crops. Either way, these chemicals seep into the ground water or run off into lakes, creeks, or rivers, causing water pollution. [5] Industrial processes produce toxic waste containing heavy metals. When heavy metals filter into water, they are fatal to marine life.[5] The construction industry is also at fault for contaminating our water resources with cement, lubricants, plastics and metals. Rivers and lakes are also polluted from heavy silt or sediment run-off from construction sites. [5]

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Many Europeans rivers around highly populated areas had significantly lower amounts of dissolved oxygen, which limits the life of fish and other resources and in many cases with high contamination the dissolved oxygen level reached zero, which sustains no life. For instance, the Rhine River (basin area 220,000 km2), with O2 below 3 mg/L between 1955 and 1975 and BOD5 (the amount of dissolved oxygen in water consumed in 5 days by the decomposition of organic matter) up to 10 mg/L, saw a spectacular increase in the mid-1970s. [2] The table below shows a few of the many causes of water pollution in which leads to this massive and devastating issue.

The current sustainability strategies and solutions are inefficient and ineffective as it only applies the most minimal actions to solve the issue in which only allows for the issue to be sustained instead of solving the issue and sustaining the resource itself. There are many organizations that have made major efforts to sustain and manage the water resources that we currently possess; however the government has only tried to ignore or deny the issue which at times many individuals have noticed in the past 10 years with the factual evidence that these issues are present and in need of solving to allow our species as well as other species to sustainably-live. Below are two of the effective actions that the United State has taken, which have helped water pollution issues decrease, but has not solved the issue in which has become more difficult to maintain as a result this causes many oversights as well as inaccurate inspections and reviews.

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The Clean Water Act is a U.S. federal law that regulates the discharge of pollutants into the nation's surface waters, including lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and coastal areas. Passed in 1972 and amended in 1977 and 1987, the Clean Water Act was originally known as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. The Clean Water Act is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which sets water quality standards, handles enforcement, and helps state and local governments develop their own pollution control plans. [6]

The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 represents an important step in improving the quality of public water supply in the United States. However, it fails to address two important problems: (1) The 1970 Public Health Service Community Water Supply Survey revealed that small public water supply systems often deliver poor quality water. The Act does not assure that these supplies will now receive appropriate attention; furthermore, the Act does flat address the needs of the 50 million people not now served by public water systems; (2) About one-third of our population draws its drinking waters from polluted sources. The decisions to use these low cost sources were made generations ago when consumers could be protected from water-borne infectious disease. [7]

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The Water Sustainability and Conservation Action Plan consists of many actions in which provide many options to countries to better their water sustainability by providing them with the support and technology to better protect the waters around them. In the placing of sensors, creating outposts and sensors that will allow us to patrol and monitor our oceans. The main actions, which support this plan are; the initiatives in which reward people for the retrieval of waste and foreign materials from our oceans as well as rivers, the harsh consequences of polluting the waters and labeling all the products that are transferred across the oceans and rivers. The creation of pacts with other countries to do the same can also benefit everyone as it can provide a greater impact overall. The actions in which support this plan in its purpose to clean and increase the population of our sea life. The first of six action in which will help track the many that pollute and destroy the oceanic environment by providing labeling and tracking of products that each ship transfers or produces. This also allows many to pinpoint the sources of pollutants as well as waste or toxic dumping.

The first action supports the second action in which supplies sensors as well as posts that law personnel can patrol creating new work for many who are unemployed.

The third action will provide still consequences for polluting or dumping foreign material in to our oceans or rivers costing them money as well as after habitual offenses their property( boat seizer).

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The fourth action creates an incentive on pollutants and foreign material retrieval from our oceans and rivers, the more dangerous to our water the more they are paid in which also creates more work for boatmen allowing many to take seasonal breaks from fishing resulting in an increase in fish population.

The fifth and sixth actions are relational as without one the other will not work in which creating a pact with all countries to become more environmentally safe as well as provide them with the technology to do so as well as create an incentives for them to create patrols to enforce the policies of their countries surrounding waters.

The initial time line of my plan is a 10 year span in which revision is advised to ensure maximum positive impact starting with action one to six the starts the timeline resulting in major reduction of pollution in our water and increase in oceanic wildlife. The span of these action each last two years in which the last year the fifth and sixth action would be initiated allowing one year to create pacts with other countries to do the same and help with the technology to do so. The actions in which this starts is the placement of oceanic sensors to provide important information to allow for the tracking of pollutants that are spilled or dumped as well as labeling the products that are being transported across the oceans or rivers.

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The benefits and challenges are quite vast as this plan allows for complete sustainability in which providing two year for each step to be fully initiated is the most appropriate timeline as within the first 10 years of this plan will provide much needed information and economical impacts that will benefit every aspect of our planet. The water pollution reduction plan will provide cleaner and more natural water resource in which many of our natural sea life will begin to prosper and replenish our sea population. The plan consist of six actions which will provide an increase in sea life as well as cleaner and more sustainable water resource within a time line of 10 years in which the plan can then be revised to further the impact our environment.

I will require minimal government help limited to public support, funding for initiatives as well as policy changes in which will allow the plan to effectively process throughout its plan of action. The support of the community and individual companies will be greatly needed to ensure productive labeling of transported objects to better record and penalize dumpers and salvage loose debris. Many individuals

will view this plan provides many aspects to combat the issue with water pollution centered on point source pollution in our oceans and in our rivers. Many will see some actions to be quite big in which providing sensors and patrolling our oceans is a difficult and costly job. In scope there will be many that could oppose this plan as it will cost as well as be difficult to do alone in which is the reason that we should create pacts with other countries to ensure we care for the polluted waters that surround our globe as well as protect the water that is clean.

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References
ENVIRONMENT - A Host of Pollutants Threaten Drinking Water from Underground, National Journal Magazine, Saturday, Aug. 16, 1980, Retrieved on July 18th, 2009 from: http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_19800816_4.php

Water-Quality Trends, Michel H. Meybeck, The Oxford Companion to Global Change, Ed. David Cuff and Andrew Goudie, Oxford University Press, 2009, Oxford Reference Online, Oxford University Press. Apollo Group; retrieved on 28 July 2009 from: http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t265.e240 Irrigation, The Oxford Companion to Global Change; Randolph Barker, David Seckler, Ed. David Cuff and Andrew Goudie; Oxford University Press, 2009, Oxford Reference Online, Oxford University Press, Apollo Group; retrieved on July 28th, 2009 from: http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t265.e139

Ocean Pollution Causes & Effects NOAA Lists Nonpoint Water Pollution Sources, Bernard P. Nelson, Dec 13, 2008, retrieved on July 13th, 2009 from: http://pollutioncontrol.suite101.com/article.cfm/ocean_pollution_facts

Effects of Water Pollution, Nelson (2009), http://scipeeps.com, retrieved on July 13th, 2009 from: http://pollution-control.suite101.com/article.cfm/ocean_pollution_facts Clean Water Act. (2002), In Kevin Hillstrom & Laurie Collier Hillstrom (Eds.); Encyclopedia of Small Business, Vol. 1 (2nd ed., 199-200). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved July 30, 2009; from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/gvrl/infomark.do?&contentSet=EBKS&type=retriev e&tabID=T001&prodId=GVRL&docId=CX3404300111&source=gale&userGroupName=uphoe nix&version=1.0

Drinking Water for the Future, Okun; American Journal of Public Health; Jul76, Vol. 66 Issue 7, p639, 5p, Apollo Library, Retrieved on July 28th, 2009 from: http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=107&sid=b532eb1 d-7a43-4a97-96a6fb596fe1c266%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=tfh&AN= 5667150#db=tfh&AN=5667150#db=tfh&AN=5667150

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Tables
1. Table 1.1 - Contamination List