Water pollution is a problem that isn't new to us. It has been around since time immemorial, though its severity has only recently caught the attention of environmentalists the world over. Although there are a lot of strict laws in the United States to protect clean water, unfortunately, they haven't been followed up with adequate action. In fact, the problem is so grave that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared 40% of lakes, streams, and rivers unsafe for swimming and fishing. So now, along with prevention, there is also a need to cure this problem. Given below are a few tips that can help each one of us contribute towards this endeavor.
Enforcing Existing Laws
One of the most straightforward solutions is to make water protection laws more stringent, and to penalize anyone who's found breaking them. This is one of the best ways to prevent water pollution, and though it might not be that easy to implement, owing to the fact that it involves many high profile industrialists and politics, if a united effort is made it can be achieved.
All the different types of environmental pollution are interrelated. For example, forests are mainly responsible for absorbing rainwater and soaking it up. However, due to the population explosion in the past few decades, residential complexes and industries have spread, leading to rampant deforestation. Due to this, the rainwater is getting diverted directly into the streams, not only over-exposing the soil and taking away the fertile part of it, but also carrying pollutants in the form of sediment along with it. Thus, one of the important solutions to check water pollution is to simply plant more trees. Doing so will help keep the water clean, and would, at the same time, also help reduce air pollution.
Preventing Oil Spills
Oil spills in the oceans have disastrous consequences on the marine ecosystem. The government can play an important role in preventing this by strictly regulating and inspecting the movement of commercial ships, and by educating citizens about the adverse effects of oil spills.
Check Excessive Emissions
The emissions from our vehicles include different harmful compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are released into the air. These compounds typically rise up high in the atmosphere, and can travel for vast distances. They chemically combine with moisture, oxygen, and other gases to form an acidic pollutant known as acid rain, which in turn causes water pollution when it enters the different water-bodies. Acid rain is extremely harmful to the health of plants and animals. It is known to wipe out forests, and also disrupt the delicate balance of the aquatic ecosystems in the lakes and rivers.
Another cause of water pollution is the emission of mercury into the atmosphere. Natural sources of mercury emission include volcanic eruptions. It also enters the atmosphere through human activities like burning of coal, small-scale gold mining, etc. Mercury emitted into the atmosphere is capable of traveling for thousands of miles before it comes back down to the Earth along with rainfall or in a dry gaseous form. Many studies have shown that fish and other wildlife from various ecosystems commonly attain mercury levels of toxicological concern when this mercury enters the aquatic ecosystem of lakes and rivers.
Thus, it becomes important to reduce emissions and to only use vehicles that have cleared all the emission tests mandated by the state. In addition to this, mercury poisoning should be checked by regulating the industrial processes that are responsible for it.
Be the Change
Before blaming others for their role in polluting water, we must first get our own actions in line. The fact is that, each one of us contributes daily to the damage that is done to our environment. So, the best way to deal with it is to start making small changes in our own homes and communities.
Check for any illegal setup of pipes that may be causing waste flow from the outflow pipe into the nearby creek. Try to help your own locality and neighboring localities set up programs which will ensure periodic cleaning and maintenance of septic tanks.
One of the best ways to check water pollution is to conserve water. This will significantly help reduce the workload on the already overworked septic system. Also, we must try and reduce our reliance on plastic. The plastic industry is one of the major sources of water pollution, as their chemicals and waste products which are dumped into the rivers and other water bodies are non-biodegradable.
These are just a few of the measures that we all can take to end the crisis of water pollution. Everyone needs to come together for this purpose, and at the same time contribute in their own small but significant way towards the preservation of our environment.