Water Resource Plan
Connie Perkins
SCI275
June 25, 2010
Robert Chambless
Water is the most natural resource that exists on earth. It is over seventy percent of the
earth’s surface. Humans know that importance of water but still seem to overlook this when it
comes to pollution. We tend to still pollute over rivers, lakes, and oceans. The organisms are
dying at a high rate and we are the ones to blame for this happening. Not only is the organisms
being affected, our drinking water is also being affected. This is causing us to not be able to
drink water and use it for recreational purposes. In order for something to change in this
situation, we need to become the part of the solution and not continue to be part of the problem.
According to www.thefreedictonary.com pollution means: The act or process of polluting
or the state of being polluted, especially the contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere
by the discharge of harmful substances. Water pollution occurs when the water is affected
by large amounts of materials in the water. There are two types of water pollutants that
exists. They are point source and nonpoint source. Point source pollution is contamination that
enters the environment through any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance. Point
source pollution is monitored and regulated. Nonpoint pollution is caused by rainfall or
snowmelt moving over and through the ground. When the runoff moves it picks up and carries
natural and human made pollutants then depositing them into our lakes, rivers, and oceans.
Between the two types of water pollutants, nonpoint is the hardest one to be controlled. The
biggest problem being caused by the nonpoint pollutants.
Many causes of pollution including sewage and fertilizers contain nutrients such as nitrates
and phosphates. In excess levels, nutrients over stimulate the growth of aquatic plants and algae.
Excessive growth of the...