Category: Water Pollution

Canada is the second well-known country for its best quality of water among other countries where it has about 20 percent of the world’s freshwater.1 From the quality of safe drinking water, it made the list under one of the public health achievements. Canada’s public health policies helped to protect the community’s health by reducing contamination in water. However, the country still faced challenges from experiencing issues around 288 cases of water-borne disease from 1974 to 2001.2 Water-borne diseases outbreaks and water quality issues came to attention to take action to govern the drinking water and the public health. The poor quality of water caused by the government’s actions of poor management which led to about 7 deaths and 7000 people ill from the outbreaks that occurred in Walkerton, Ontario and North Battleford, Saskatchewan combined.3 However, many of these cases are occurring less now due to improvements in safe drinking water programs and establishing guidelines from events after the Walkerton outbreak in 2000. The purpose of this report is to discuss how the quality of drinking water has improved throughout time in Canada and how water management could be strengthened to avoid waterborne disease outbreaks in the future.

The water quality has improved so much in Canada where it’s rewarded under the public health achievements. Many of these achievements started from a major outbreak in the public where new policies were introduced to follow through. The health issue was first identified back in the early 20th century when water was getting contaminated by human waste. The municipal government took control by starting to install sewage systems across Canada and designed to remove waste such as human wastes and waterborne from industrial effluent and toxic chemicals to avoid contamination and possible other types of diseases.5 However, a huge outbreak occurred in 1911 where typhoid fever epidemic was found in Ottawa.4 This gained attention to improve the sanitation systems and water quality by using chlorination since it was successfully introduced in United States in 1908 at Jersey City. Toronto was first to introduce chlorine in the municipal control.5 This was very successful because it didn’t just cut the typhoid incidence but other types of waterborne diseases.4 The use of chlorination increased during the 1920s and many health managements used it to keep up the water quality clean. Furthermore, during the typhoid outbreaks, an important person known as Senator Napoleon Belcourt successfully saved populations that were near sewage contamination to avoid getting ill. He also addressed later a claim that Canadians should receive safe drinking water because it’s a human right.6 After in the post-war reconstruction era, the provincial and federal took responsible to fund and develop water and sewage infrastructure across Canada.7 In Ontario during 1945, a city called Bradford began a water fluoridation experiment, which was a huge success because many Canadians oral health improved.4

It’s important to point out that in the 1950s, when provincial agencies took control for pollution control by taking responsible to keep the water quality safe. Many premiers like public health care pioneer T.C. Douglas wanted the Prime Minister St.Laurent to take first action to help with water pollution. Many organizations such as British Columbia’s Pollution Control Board, Ontario Water Resources Commission and even environmental public groups were also formed to help with politicians to strike to change water polices and management.8 From the success, Health Canada published the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality4 which provides any treatments techniques to keep drinking water safe. Even though, the guidelines are from all levels of the government, it’s the federal government who takes responsible to make sure the health of Canadians safe. It’s important to point that in 1970s, the government established the Canada Waters Act (CWA). This act is responsible to let people know about water resource management and to act when it becomes a national concern. In the 1980s, The Federal Water Policy was introduced, and the overall idea is to protect and improve safe quality of water and using the management and use of water wisely.9

Later in the early 2000s, a major outbreak occurred in Walkerton, North Battleford and Kashechewan where the drinking water got contaminated with E. coli killing seven people and many more ill.10 Justice Dennis R. O’Connor and the Commission proposed a report recommendation for improvements which the province of Ontario accepted. He concluded that the standards of quality drinking water “should have the force of law” and added how these standards are vital for a multi barrier approach to the safety of water. From today, the federal government recommends a multi barrier approach to safe drinking water management since then there hasn’t been any major waterborne diseases outbreak in Canada which is a huge success.3 The implementation has been successful because in 1991, 30 cases of waterborne outbreaks occurred across Canada which was the highest reported since then the rate decreased by improving the system to only 1 or 2 cases in the early 2000s.2 Moreover, since the guidelines being established, the issue improved more with no major outbreaks since 2001. The morality rates also decreased from only 7 deaths and 2500 people ill from the Walkerton outbreak and after the guidelines being established, there were only people who were ill from the cause, and no deaths reported from the North Battleford case.3 Therefore, the major outbreak in Walkerton was a failure but also a place to improve the water quality system.

The water issue in Kashechewan took action quickly by evacuating people before they got ill more.2 However, the implementation is contentious since many people like First Nations communities still don’t receive the same level of government help as the rest of the residents in Canada. However, the implementation was successful for Non-First Nations since they receive a higher public attention to get the treatment, they need compared to the values needed from First Nations. Also, the positive impact has been long-lasting since there hasn’t been any outbreak after the Walkerton incident. However, it’s still not universal since First Nations are struggling to receive quality of water and proper water management. Even though, the guidelines address to help First Nations on safe water quality, it still lacks on covering all elements and tend to give them less public health standard compared to Non-First Nations.3 Another critique is many small communities in Canada with less than 5000 population don’t have proper water facilities to maintain safe water. Many of these communities are most likely be in risk because they lack people to work to keep up water infrastructure and repairing.11 It was reported by Schuster that 34 % of the outbreak occurred in public water serving populations that were less than 5000.12 For instance, the Walkerton outbreak was a small community with less than 5000 residents and because of the poor management it led to a huge outbreak.

In conclusion, the overall water quality in Canada is stable from the improvements overtime. All of the major issues of water quality in Canada have taken action and well protected by reducing contamination in water. Also, the mortality and number of outbreaks decreased after the incident in 2001. The use of chlorination is the key impact for Canada to keep water quality clean by decreasing bacteria pathogens.5 It is recommended that Canada should continue strengthening to avoid future outbreaks by providing funding for drinking water infrastructure especially increase funding for First Nations. Also, federal government should fund to develop a real-time continuous monitoring of water treatment to receive warnings early when the system goes under failure. Another recommendation is Canada should establish long term targets to reduce water pollution by making sure the progress is made and the government is responsible to help. Lastly, it should be noted that government should fund for research and educational programs for the public to be informed about the public health polices and action.13

People who have come a long way in the desert will probably be able to name the price of each drop of water, but most likely these drops will be priceless because human life depends on them. When I was in India, I saw how people in villages washed and stayed in dirty ponds. The water was black with rust wrap on top. My first thought was “after this water they will be dirtier.” After I asked my friend about water quality in their region, he explained that in the water there are a lot of iron and other chemicals. When we visited one family in the village, they invited us to eat with them and they gave us a few glasses of water. The water was orange in color, and we couldn’t give up, because that would mean disrespect to the family. Later when we came back home, we had stomach issues. The reason was the water was polluted. Many countries in the world have a problem with water pollution. Water pollution has causes and effects.

Like all thing on the Earth has reasons, so water pollution has a cause. The first cause is natural pollution that does not depend on people. This type can be attributed to an example of Indian water, where water is polluted with a lot of iron or other chemical elements from the soil. Water that comes from the underground mixes with iron or other chemicals in the soil that makes the water dangerous for health. People can’t influence it or decrease the number of dangerous elements in the soil. People can’t control this cause because it is a natural process.

Another reason is the agricultural complex. To make more profit from plants, farmers use chemical fertilizers and pesticides that negatively impact the groundwater. “Many studies have shown that agricultural activities are a significant source of surface and groundwater pollution due to long-term and excessive fertilizer use”( Hong). A lot of studies declare that the agricultural complex is the major source of water pollution due to the prolonged and excessive use of fertilizers. Rain and melting show those fertilizers go to rivers and lakes, that killing water plants and fishes. Now almost every river in the USA is polluted by farmers’ influence. Rivers can self-cleaning, but if nitrates or chemicals have a big concentration in water, the water ecosystem can’t neutralize it.

The most famous source of water pollution is domestic and municipal wastewater. Urban water consumption is usually estimated on the basis of the average daily water consumption per person, including drinking water, for cooking and personal hygiene, the operation of household plumbing devices, as well as watering lawns and lawns, putting out fires, washing streets, and other urban needs. Also, rain and melt water flowing down the streets into sewers, often with sand or salt, is used to accelerate the melting snow and ice on sidewalks. Almost all of the used water goes to the sewer. Since a huge amount of feces falls into wastewater daily.

Thermal pollution is another cause of water pollution. A serious environmental problem is that the usual way to use water to absorb heat is to directly pump fresh lake or river water through a cooler and then return it to natural waters without pre-cooling The largest thermal pollutant is the production of electricity, where it mainly used for cooling and condensing stream produced by turbines of thermal power plants. After it, water came back to the river, but now it heated, being the main source of additional heat. Under natural conditions, with slow increases or decreases in temperature, fish and other aquatic organisms gradually adapt to changes in ambient temperature. But if as a result of the discharge of hot runoff into rivers and lakes from industrial enterprises, a new temperature regime is quickly established, there is not enough time for acclimatization, and living organisms receive a heat shock and die.

Industries also play a big role in water pollution. During the operation of large plants, industrial wastes are discharged into fresh water, the composition of which abounds in various kinds of heavy metals. Enterprises of coastal cities throw thousands of tons of various, usually untreated, wastes into the sea, including sewage. Contaminated river waters are carried into the seas. Some factories use water from rivers to cool systems, not usually it is safe to water, and sometimes heavy metals from the cooling system come back into the river. Also, factories pollute the atmosphere, metals and other dangerous elements from smoke come into the air and mixed with clouds and it does fain dangerous for the environment. After a rain, those chemicals come to the ground where they pollute rivers and lakes. In one city where I lived in Belarus, I saw one absurd example where on one side of the road was a metal smelter factory, and on another side was Children’s Health Camp. In conclusion, industry polluted water in more than one way.

One more cause is Oil spills in the oceans are one of the global problems on which lies the responsibility for large-scale water pollution. Oil and oil products fall into the water as a result of flushing tanks and containers in which oil is transported. A huge amount of oil enters the ocean and the sea during accidents of tankers, oil pipelines in oil fields, and during the exploration and exploitation of oil fields in the continental shelf zone. During accidents with oil wells, many thousands of tons of oil are thrown into the sea. Thousands of fish and other aquatic creatures die from oil spills. In addition to oil, huge quantities of practically non-decaying waste, like all kinds of plastic products, have also been found in the oceans. The facts of water pollution in the world speak of an impending global world problem.

And finally, the last cause is radioactive pollution. Radioactive fallout into the oceans in three ways: firstly, from the atmosphere as a result of nuclear tests; secondly, during the discharge of radioactive water and radioactive substances from the enterprises of the nuclear industry and nuclear power plants and, finally, as a result of accidents of ships powered by nuclear engines, as well as the dumping of radioactive waste from ship reactors. With the development of the nuclear industry and nuclear energy, radioactive waste is discharged into rivers, lakes, and seas in ever-increasing sizes. Known when for years, the Italian mafia has provided an expensive service for the disposal of radioactive waste – they just dumped them into the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Legambiente organization, about 40 vessels loaded with toxic and radioactive waste disappeared in the waters” (Brainz). Also, accidents at nuclear power plants increase the level of water pollution.

One effect is a human health problem. Every human contains from the water around 70 percent, of water in our body is decreased and we need to drink water to maintain the electrolytic balance of our body. According to “World Health Organization” “Contaminated water can transmit diseases such diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. Contaminated drinking water is estimated to cause 485 000 diarrheal deaths each year”. (Drinking Water) Almost five hundred thousand people died only from diarrheal and this number will increase if add to it dead from other diseases that result from water pollution. Hindu people use the bank of the river in their ritual of cremation. When the body almost burns out, they dispel the ashes in the river, where downstream people use river water to brush their teeth or wash. One of the places that do it is Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Water pollution is a huge issue for our planet and it is harmful to people’s health, it can be a reason for many serious diseases, for example, cancer, stomach problem, and other problem with health. Many things that made our life easier are harmful to our ecology and the environment. It has an influence on water, air, and soil quality. In order to provide us with everything necessary for life, we make the environment around us unsuitable for our lives. If we continue to act like now, we will make our planet dangerous for our descendants. We have only one planet and who will protect it from destruction? It is only our responsibility.

Works Cited

1. Brainz, “10 Most Radioactive Places on Earth.” TRANSCEND Media Service, 9 Jan. 2017, www.transcend.org/tms/2017/01/10-most-radioactive-places-on-earth/. Accessed November 12, 2019
2. Drinking-water 14 June 2019 http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water Accessed November 12, 2019
3. Hong, et al. “Nitrate Accumulation and Leaching in Surface and Ground Water Based on Simulated Rainfall Experiments.” PLoS ONE, vol. 10, no. 8, Aug. 2015, pp. 1–18. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0136274.

Water, the elixir of life, is an indispensable resource for all life forms on Earth. Our dependence on this invaluable resource is so profound that even a slight imbalance in its composition can have far-reaching implications. Unfortunately, this balance is being threatened by a looming crisis: water pollution. The United States, one of the world’s most industrialized nations, is grappling with the growing menace of water pollution. This crisis warrants immediate and focused attention from policymakers, environmentalists, the general public, and all stakeholders.

Understanding the Concept of Water Pollution

Water pollution, a complex and critical environmental issue, refers to the contamination of our precious water bodies, encompassing rivers, lakes, oceans, groundwater, and aquifers. This contamination results from pollutants, varying from household waste to industrial effluents, being directly or indirectly discharged into these water bodies without undergoing proper treatment to eliminate harmful compounds. The spectrum of pollutants is extensive, ranging from organic compounds and heavy metals to plastic debris and pathogens. The pollution alters the water’s physical, chemical, and biological properties, consequently rendering it harmful for consumption and detrimental to the ecosystems it nurtures. This deleterious change not only diminishes the aesthetic appeal of our waters but also significantly compromises the health and survival of a myriad of species that are intricately dependent on these ecosystems. Furthermore, water pollution affects the availability and quality of potable water, which is vital for human survival, health, and well-being. Therefore, understanding water pollution is crucial, not just from an ecological perspective but also from a public health and socioeconomic viewpoint, given its profound implications for all facets of society and life on Earth.

Causes of Water Pollution in the USA

The sources of water pollution in the United States are as diverse as they are damaging. Industrial waste stands as a primary contributor, with industries such as manufacturing, mining, and chemicals releasing heavy metals, organic compounds, and other hazardous materials into water bodies. Municipal sewage and wastewater, often inadequately treated, carry pathogens and nutrients that can lead to eutrophication. Oil spills from offshore drilling or transportation accidents devastate coastal ecosystems and marine life. Agriculture, a vital part of the American economy, inadvertently adds to the problem as runoff containing pesticides, fertilizers, and animal waste enters water bodies. Littering, particularly plastic waste, continues to plague rivers and oceans, while radioactive waste from power plants poses a significant, though often overlooked, risk.

Impacts of Water Pollution

Water pollution has profound impacts that extend beyond the immediate contamination of water bodies. These impacts affect our lives’ ecological, health, and socioeconomic aspects, highlighting the pressing need for effective solutions.

Ecological Impacts: Water pollution leads to significant degradation of aquatic ecosystems. Ecosystems are delicate and carefully balanced, and the introduction of pollutants can lead to drastic shifts in this balance. For instance, excess nutrients from agricultural runoff can cause eutrophication, resulting in harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels in the water and create “dead zones” where aquatic life cannot survive. Further, pollutants can bioaccumulate in the food chain, leading to long-term effects on species and potentially causing extinction. Water pollution also threatens terrestrial ecosystems, as contaminated water used for irrigation can degrade soil quality and harm plant life.

Health Impacts: Water pollution poses severe risks to public health. Polluted water can be a carrier for various waterborne diseases, including cholera, dysentery, and typhoid, which can cause serious illness or even death in affected populations. Furthermore, chronic exposure to certain pollutants, such as heavy metals or harmful chemicals, can lead to long-term health conditions like cancer, neurological disorders, and reproductive issues.

Socioeconomic Impacts: Water pollution also has significant socioeconomic implications. Polluted water can disrupt fishing industries and tourism, which are significant income sources for many communities. Additionally, the contamination of freshwater sources can lead to a scarcity of potable water, affecting everyday life and potentially leading to conflict. The costs associated with treating polluted water or managing health impacts can also put a significant financial burden on communities and nations.

Water Pollution and Public Health in the USA

The public health implications of water pollution in the United States are grave. Polluted water is a potent carrier of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid, putting populations relying on unsafe water at risk. In addition, chronic exposure to pollutants like heavy metals and harmful chemicals can lead to long-term health issues. These include a range of conditions, from cancer and neurological disorders to reproductive problems and endocrine disruption.

Legal Framework for Water Pollution Control in the USA

The USA has implemented various legal instruments to address the water pollution crisis. The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 stands as one of the most significant, regulating the discharge of pollutants into the nation’s surface waters. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974, on the other hand, focuses on the quality of drinking water. These laws, enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have undoubtedly helped mitigate the problem, but their effectiveness is often undermined by enforcement challenges and regulatory loopholes.

Case Study: Flint Water Crisis

The Flint water crisis serves as a stark illustration of the dangers and devastating consequences of water pollution. The crisis unfolded in 2014 when the city of Flint, Michigan, switched its water supply source from Lake Huron to the Flint River as a cost-saving measure. The decision was made without proper precautions and oversight, leading to a series of catastrophic events.

Almost immediately, residents began to notice a change in tap water’s color, taste, and odor. Concerns were raised about its safety, but these concerns were initially dismissed by authorities. It was later revealed that the corrosive river water was leaching lead from aging pipes and infrastructure, contaminating the drinking water supply. Unfortunately, thousands of children and residents of Flint were exposed to lead-contaminated water for over a year before the crisis came to light.

The Flint water crisis highlighted numerous systemic failures, including inadequate water treatment, lack of proper testing, and a failure to address public concerns. The crisis disproportionately affected marginalized communities, exacerbating existing social inequalities. 

Efforts have since been made to address the crisis, including pipe replacement, improved water treatment, and ongoing monitoring. However, the legacy of the Flint water crisis serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of neglecting water quality and the imperative to prevent such catastrophes from occurring again in the future.

Potential Solutions to Water Pollution in the USA

Addressing water pollution requires a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach. Upgrading aging water infrastructure, enhancing wastewater treatment, and stricter regulation of industrial discharges are critical steps. Encouraging sustainable agricultural practices can also significantly reduce pollutant runoff. Educating the public about the impacts of littering and promoting a culture of recycling and waste reduction can help tackle pollution from household waste. Finally, investing in research to develop advanced, cost-effective water purification and pollutant removal methods is imperative for long-term solutions.

Conclusion

Water pollution is a critical issue in the United States, threatening public health, degrading ecosystems, and challenging sustainable development. While the problem is daunting, it is not insurmountable. With robust legislation, innovative technology, sustainable practices, and public awareness, we can protect our precious water resources for generations to come. As we continue to face this crisis, we must remember that clean water is not just a resource but a fundamental human right that we are obligated to safeguard.