• Home
• News
• Sports
• Events
• Opinion

Information on how to prevent this common mistake of polluting watersheds.

By: Kirsten Mixon, Logan Leggett, and Joseph Smith

November, 2010

Water is unassailably the most vital of resources for the survival of all life. However, there is only a limited amount of this necessity; the same water has existed on Earth for millions of years, continuously traveling through the stages of the water cycle. Encompassing 72 percent of the Earth, water may seem as though it is in plenty abundance; but only three percent of the water is drinkable, and 70 percent of this freshwater is inaccessibly frozen into ice. Of the limited amount of consumable water, one must take into account all of the pollution contaminating the drinkable resource.

 Pollution of rivers, lakes, and oceans has been repeatedly recognized as a major problem which is harming the planet at an alarming rate through various means. According to the studies of water pollution and society by David Krantz and Brad Kifferstein, when it is unfit for its intended use, water is considered polluted. Two types of water pollutants exist: point source and non-point source. Point sources of pollution occur when harmful substances are emitted directly into a body of water; non-point sources deliver pollutants indirectly through environmental changes. (www.umich.edu)

 Non-point pollution is more difficult to administer because it generally occurs when rainfall runs across the ground, garnering pollutants such as pesticides, fertilizers, bacteria, dirt, manure, oil, gas, and other soil components. Although this is seemingly a small act, these substances make up most of the contaminants in small rivers and lakes, harming them by suffocating the ecosystem’s environment with all the excess materials and pollutants. The build up may also kill much of the aquatic life when the amount of dissolved oxygen decreases, leading to a gap in the food chain of these habitats. Another dilemma generated from this type of pollution is it diminishes the condition of drinking water and limits the use of these areas for any variety of use.

 Many organizations have already taken the initiative to control point pollution, but less can be done for non-point sources because they do not happen directly. These sources can be monitored and regulated, but the primary focus to prevent non-point pollution is to make the public aware of its causes and effects. Most of the precautions homes are able to take to restrict the pollutants around their vicinity are simple. People should keep all wastes out of gutters and storm drains and attempt to use lawn chemicals sporadically. They should control soil erosion by planting ground cover and stabilizing erosion-prone areas, and purchase only household cleaners that are low in phosphorus. It would also be highly beneficial if residents washed their cars on grass or a gravel driveway to prevent runoff and to dispose of used oil, antifreeze, paints and other household chemicals properly. (water.epa.gov)

 The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) manages the state‘s non-point sources, and is a collaborative effort that includes many partners. Their goal is to educate people about non-point pollution and the best management practices. The State of Louisiana has applied for and received Section 319 funds to implement both statewide and watershed projects to address non-point source pollution. (nonpoint.deq.louisiana.gov)