2 minute read
Source Water Protection
Klark Bohling, MRWA Sourcewater Protection Specialist
I think most people take for granted the water we use and consume daily. Included in that: the cost and time it takes to make sure we all have the convenience of turning on the faucet in the morning, assurance that it is safe to consume, and the assurance that our lakes, rivers, and streams are clean and healthy for the environment and for us to use for recreation.
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The first barrier to contamination for our drinking water is to protect the source of our drinking water.
Source water refers to the lakes, rivers, and aquifers from which we get the water we use and drink. Drinking water sources can be easily contaminated. Long-term problems can be costly or impossible to correct. Source water protection is about protecting both quality and quantity of our water sources.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, remediating water is 40 times more expensive than taking steps to protect water at the source, so preventing contamination at the source greatly reduces the cost of treating water later. There are two types of water contamination – point source pollution and non-point source pollution. Some examples of point source pollution are industrial discharges, municipal effluents, landfill leachate, abandon mining sites, septic systems and leaking underground oil and gas tanks. Some examples of non-point source pollution include agricultural runoff, urban runoff, bacterial and petroleum by-products from recreational activities, acid precipitation and air pollution. Almost all things we do as humans; growing food, manufacturing products, and generating electricity have the potential to release pollution. On a good note, the United States Clean Water Act has been beneficial in helping combat both point source and non-point source pollution. Thanks to this act, for some 50 years now, America’s waters are cleaner today than they were for most of the 20th century.
My viewpoint is this: Missouri is one of the best states to live, in part because of all our lakes, rivers, and streams. Most may only see those for the recreational use they possess, but I am going to do my part in keeping them pollution-free for recreational and source water reasons.
If your system is having issues with your water source, call MRWA for assistance.
