It is fall and winter is coming. Normal yard and home maintenance activities like raking leaf debris, applying lawn chemicals, or tossing unwanted pet waste onto the compost pile do not seem like a big deal to the average American. We readily assume that doing these common, everyday things are environmentally safe. The reality of these supposedly benign activities is slightly different, however from common misperceptions. With the occurrence of the first soaking rain, water that began clean and pure, become polluted with containments as lawn applications of weed and feed are washed from the plant and begin to enter into ground water. Household trash, industrial sediments, yard debris, vehicle fluids, pet waste, fertilizers and pesticides are added to rainwater runoff that flow into our hydro-systems. No matter where people live and what they do, their daily activities contribute to polluted runoff, also known as non-point pollution. Among other things, uncontrolled water pollution can result in exceedingly high levels of bacteria, nutrients, excessive sedimentation, salt, and other toxic chemicals added to our pristine water supply. Water contamination results in the degrading of numerous environmental systems. Nonpoint pollution is the main reason why approximately forty percent of our rivers, lakes, and estuaries are not clean enough to meet basic human needs including providing for clean drinking water, and environmentally safe swimming and fishing resources. Nonpoint pollution is also a factor why many native species of plants and animals are disappearing from their natural habits. This paper will describe the effect of nonpoint, or polluted runoff, and ascertain where this type of pollution is most likely to occur and how to control the negative aspects of nonpoint pollution through human intervention.
The pollution of surface waters occurs when an excessive amount of undesirable, or harmful substance, is added to rainfall, snowmelt, or irrigation that flows into systems of permanent water reservoirs. In addition, water pollution occurs when the amount of added contamination exceed the ability of the ecosystem to naturally filtrate, or remove the pollutant, or to convert it into a less harmful state. Water pollutants are emitted as either point pollutants, which are identifiable from localized sources, or nonpoint pollution that are environmentally diffused from their origins and are not readily identifiable. Limestone based, or Karst topography, in any given geologic area may make the source of nonpoint pollution impossible to pinpoint.
Nonpoint sources of pollution are diffused and intermittent. The severity of polluted runoff, or nonpoint pollution, is influenced by numerous factors. The geology of an area will determine if water will quickly run off or if it will percolate into the subsoil. Regional land use will determine to what extent the filtration of ground water can naturally occur without impairment by human activities. The climatic zone for a region will determine the amount of rainfall entering the hydrology system. The amount and type of vegetation will determine to what extent they function as filtration agents.
Nonpoint pollution comes from numerous sources and carries many forms of contaminants. According to the 1994 Water Quality Inventory Chart, the largest source of contamination in our major bodies of water is the result of mismanagement of agricultural, forestry, mining pursuits, and other factors. These pursuits result in land management activities that allow runoff, seepage, and percolation to negatively affect water quality. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency web site, sixty per cent of all nonpoint factors resulting in impaired river systems and lakes, and the leading source of ground water pollution are contributed through agricultural activities.
Three Leading Sources of Water Quality Impairment
*Rank Rivers
*Lakes
*Estuaries
:cry:
1. Agriculture and Urban Runoff
2. Municipal point source
3. Stream/habitat changes
Urban Runoff
Agriculture
***Source: Water Quality Inventory 1994***
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Water Quality Inventory Report publication states, “Agricultural activities that cause NPS pollution include confined animal facilities, grazing, plowing, pesticide spraying, irrigation, fertilizing, planting, and harvesting.” The report further states that the major affect to occur from these agricultural pursuits include “sediment, nutrients, pathogens, pesticides and salts damaging habitat and stream channels.” Lumbering is another form of nonpoint pollution as the removal of shade trees along waterways increases erosion as well as water temperature, which changes the ecosystem found there. Soil erosion from broken, or disturbed, topography creates an abundance of polluted sediment. Likewise, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer from rural and urban areas, enter the water cycle because of attempted pest and weed control. Industrial and mining activities cause air pollutants that are loaded with heavy metals and toxins that in turn become a part of the water cycle through atmospheric deposition. Acid mine drainage is a huge factor in extreme nonpoint pollution, that leads to serious health defects to all living things and degrades all natural habitats.
Nonpoint pollution is a national issue that requires individual dedication if it is to be controlled. To control excessive sediment deposition, and even erosion from cattle grazing, the National Conservation Buffer Initiative has proposed a plan designed to buffer all waterways with relatively small areas of land planted with permanent vegetation. The intent is that these filter strips, field borders, and forest buffers will not cause soil erosion to enter the hydrologic cycle and are applicable to people who farm, manage industrial areas or simply own luxury cottages. These buffers are intended to intercept pollutants before they reach rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater from improperly managed construction sites or agricultural fields. This plan relies on the cooperation of federal and local governments to actively participate in the conservation of our fragile ecosystem by enforcing existing laws, and helping to maintain, or develop these buffer zones. The Wisconsin Conservation Corp is one organization currently helping non-profit owners of land along navigatable waterways to reestablish natural shoreline development by providing free labor grants.
The old saying, “if some is good, more is better” definitely does not apply to fertilizer application. Anyone applying nutrients to gardens or field crops with the intent of increase yields, need to implement nutrient management plans so applied, but unused fertilizer does not become problematic.
When they are applied in excess of plant needs, nutrients can wash into aquatic ecosystems where they can cause excessive plant growth, which reduces swimming and boating opportunities, creates a foul taste and odor in drinking water, and kills fish. In drinking water, high concentrations of nitrate can cause methemoglobinemia, a potentially fatal disease in infants.
-U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Website
Of utmost importance is that of controlling herbicide and insecticide applications as these poisons enter our waters where they kill fish and other wildlife, poison food, and destroy animal habitat. Pest management and control of weed growth and fungus can be managed by first analyzing the noxious weed infestation, or type of pest attacking the crop, and then applying poisons that address the specific problem instead of applying a general herbicide.
Another major, but often commonly overlooked, source of nonpoint pollution to estuaries and coastal waters are derived from urban development. Not only do cities contribute to sediment from construction areas, and herbicides from weed and pest control, but also in addition they are major sources of industrial heavy metals, massive amounts of road salt, and toxic pollutants from petroleum products. Whereas forests, wetlands, and natural areas will purify contaminated water as it slowly filters through the soil layers, urban areas are relatively devoid of these features having an abundance of hard pavement and rooftops that channel runoff into storm sewer systems, which sometimes overflow directly into ground water resources. According to the U.S. Environmental Agency, “The control of nutrient and pathogen loadings to surface waters can begin with the proper design, installation, and operation of onsite disposal systems.” Urban management plans for controlling nonpoint pollution should be designed keep the integrity of natural drainage areas while minimizing potential land erosion.
Careless or uninformed household management also contribute to water pollution as bacteria and nutrients enter the hydrology cycle from malfunctioning home septic systems along with other animal wastes. The individual homeowner is not exempt from being a nonpoint pollution contributor. Viruses and bacteria nonpoint contamination resulting from home septic system failure can be prevented with regular inspections and emptying of contents to facilitate repairs or replacement of old units. Utilizing water conservation methods, like installing water-efficient showerheads, faucets, and toilets, and landscaping to increase water filtration, will help limit the amount of wastewater produced. Oil, grease, and other common toxic household chemicals may destroy septic system pipes allowing for contamination leaks, and therefore should be transported to special collection sites where they can be dispose of safely.
The effect of nonpoint pollution will vary depending on the location of the infected region, the amount of pollution seepage, and if any type of management is actively applied. It is an accepted fact that nonpoint pollution is a leading cause of today’s water quality problems. Pollutants have harmful effects on drinking water supplies, recreation, fisheries and wildlife. Nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers are among the most common and most difficult to address when it comes to pollution control. Excessive amounts of nutrients cause algae blooms that can quickly rob oxygen from the surrounding waters creating a lethal environment to many aquatic species and a health threat to humans. Beach closures, destroyed habitat, unsafe drinking water, fish kills, and other negative environmental effects may result. Controlling nonpoint pollutants is a multi-billion dollar annual battle. It is a war that will not be won through legislative mandates or simple natural filtration processes. It is a war that must be waged daily on the battlefronts of our homes and businesses. One way or another, every American contributes to nonpoint pollution either directly or indirectly. We must work together to reduce and help prevent nonpoint pollution by working individually to achieve this never-ending goal.
