DJ Long Durham ELA December 3, 2013 Cleaning Up a Precious Resource Water pollution is a big problem in our world. i!

ers and waterwa"s are becoming more polluted as our world grows. #he $ualit" o% our water depends on natural and human in%luences on land and water &'Water (ualit")*. +tormwater runo%% is the most common source o% water pollution &+chult,*. #his runo%% happens when rain and snow %alls o!er land or hard sur%aces and is not absorbed into the ground. #he water carries dirt and waste with it into our water &+chult,*. -onstruction sites are !er" dangerous sources o% pollution. Dirt is e.posed and can be eroded, but e!en worse, stormwater can pic/ up debris and chemicals %rom paint, concrete and other materials and ta/e them to sewers that lead to ri!ers &+chult,*. E!en runo%% %rom %arms with animal waste ma/es our water unsa%e &' i!er and +tream 0ollution)*. #he reason 1 chose water pollution is because e!er"one else in m" class was doing alternati!e energ" or -hristopher -olumbus pro2ects. 1 decided to instead sol!e a big problem in the communit" so 1 chose water pollution. 1 am determined to %ind a solution. Water is something we all need %or li%e, so 1 thought it would be a good problem to choose. esearch has shown there are man" wa"s to lessen stormwater runo%%. #here also are man" wa"s to decrease how man" chemicals and bacteria get into the water &'3ow to -lean 4p 5ur Water)*. 1 hope to thin/ o% a new solution to construction site stormwater runo%% to /eep chemicals and waste out o% our water.

A Closer Look at Problem Water pollution a%%ects e!er"bod" including people in 6aines!ille. We get our water %rom the -hattahoochee i!er. 1t is the most hea!il" used water source in our state &'Water (ualit")*. A recent stud" done b" the 4.+. 6eological +ur!e" determined a ma2orit" o% the streams %eeding the -hattahoochee do not meet standards %or water $ualit". 5!er 170 cities, counties, and businesses are allowed to discharge wastewater into the ri!er &'Water (ualit")*. Almost 879 o% the water pollution problem comes %rom 'urban runo%%) li/e eroded soil %rom construction sites &'Water (ualit")*. -onstruction sites can cause a lot o% pollution because during a hea!" rainwater can %low o!er a construction site washing sediment, chemicals, and concrete into our sewer s"stems that end up dumping these items into the ri!er. #his hurts the water $ualit" and causes destruction o% wildli%e &+chult,*. Dirt is a ma2or cause o% water pollution %or our ri!ers and streams. Dirt not onl" comes %rom construction sites but also %rom %arming operations &:13*. While erosion is a ma2or reason %or water pollution, it is not the onl" cause. +tormwater runo%% is a ma2or problem. ;ard %ertili,er, anti%ree,e, car oil, washing detergent, paint, and other chemicals can be washed into our ri!er s"stem during hea!ing rains &E0A*. We also ha!e man" concrete and asphalt pa!ed areas that do not allow water to go through the ground where it can be clean through the natural process and put bac/ into our ground water &: D-*. <an" o% our current land de!elopment practices cause much o% the water pollution because much o% the hard sur%aces such as roads, sidewal/s, and buildings are designed to increase water run=o%% &:atalu/*.

A Better Solution Wetlands are areas saturated with water that are located between lands and water. <an" "ears ago wetlands were drained to ma/e land read" %or de!elopment but scientists ha!e disco!ered that the" are an important part o% our en!ironment. Wetlands pro!ide water storage and protect us %rom %loods &:atalu/*. 3owe!er, one o% the most important things wetlands do is act as a %iltration s"stem that cleans water be%ore it goes bac/ into our ri!ers, la/es and oceans &:atalu/*. 0lants %ound in Wetlands actuall" help clean the water. Wetlands are now protected b" the %ederal go!ernment to ma/e sure the" are preser!ed &E0A*. <an" states li/e 6eorgia re$uire de!elopers to construct stormwater ponds at their pro2ects to catch stormwater and graduall" release in bac/ into the ri!er s"stem &Long*. #hese ponds onl" trap the water %or a short period o% time but do not clean the water &Long*. <" water pollution solution is to re$uire de!elopers and contractors to build permanent man=made wetlands at their de!elopment sites. #hese wetlands could be used to control the amount o% runo%% but also act as a %iltration s"stem to clean the water coming %rom construction sites, par/ing lots and roads. <an=made wetlands are being built in man" areas o% our state because de!elopers are re$uired to build them i% the" damage natural wetlands during de!elopment &Long*. 3owe!er, neither 6eorgia nor the E0A re$uire wetlands to be built to impro!e water pollution &Long*.

Works Cited

Water Quality. -hattahoochee i!er/eeper. Web. 13 :o!. 2013. 3

+chult,, Jeannie. Environmental Effects of Erosion on Water Quality. :orth Da/ota Department o% 3ealth. > April 2011.

River and Stream Pollution. :ational 1nstitute o% En!ironmental 3ealth +er!ices. Web. 13 :o!. 2013.

How to Clean Up Our Water. :atural esources De%ense -ouncil. Web. 12 :o!. 2013.

What YOU can do to prevent PS pollution. 4nited +tates En!ironmental 0rotection Agenc" &E0A*. Web.13 :o!. 2013.

:atalu/, Douglas. Doole", ichard. !he Practice of "ow #mpact $evelopment, 4.+. Department o% 3ousing and 4rban De!elopment. Jul", 2003.

Long, Larr". 0ersonal inter!iew b" DJ Long. 2? :o!. 2013.

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