Water Pollution
Iowa's Dying Water
Pollution Basics
Water pollution can affect you at any point. In Iowa it is mostly from fertilizers and runoff. Fertilizer run off can contain nitrates. Nitrates come from nitrogen-based fertilizers and can cause life-threatening disorders for babies and for the elderly. It is important that we make a difference to limit pollution in our water.
Water Pollution in Iowa
Nonpoint source (NPS) is any pollution that cannot be linked to a direct source, such as a sewage plant. NPS in Iowa usually comes from runoff. We cannot directly stop this, but we can encourage farmers to take measures to limit nitrate runoff. Bill Stowe, general manager of the Des Moines Water Works, told Iowa Public Radio in an interview last week that "we are seeing the public water supply directly risked by high nitrate concentrations." Because of this we need to take an effort to stop pollution. Our state and even our national government are giving out grants to farmers who are willing to put in the money to help this important issue.
Things You Can Do
There are things that you can do to clean up your local streams and other water sources. You can organize a group to pick up trash from these places. We need to make an effort to clean up the visual environment. Nature can be uplifting and improve your health, so we should keep our nature clean.
Works Cited
"Basic Information about Nitrate in Drinking Water." Basic Information about Nitrate in Drinking Water. EPA, 5 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
Charles, Dan. "Iowa's Largest City Sues Over Farm Fertilizer Runoff In Rivers." NPR. NPR, 12 Jan. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.
Walton, Brett. "Des Moines Water Utility to File Nitrate Pollution Lawsuit - Circle of Blue WaterNews." Circle of Blue WaterNews. Circle of Blue, 09 Mar. 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
"Water Contamination." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 Mar. 2010. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.
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