Bettendorf Water Conservation
Jonah Silverberg
Introduction
Water pollution is a major problem for a communities in the United States and around the world. Water contamination can lead to the death of aquatic wildlife and the spread of deadly diseases among humans. The city of Bettendorf has had problems meeting the waste management standards of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and is looking for new ways to conserve and improve the quality of its water. Cleaner and more efficient water supplies would lead to the improvement of health for a community's ecosystems and its people.
Zimbabwe's River Pollution
The pollution of Zimbabwe's rivers and dams is becoming an increasingly detrimental issue to the locals' health. The Environmental Management Agency blames Zimbabwe's poor waste management practices for the heavy pollution of nearly the entire river system. Mining, a major industry in the country, is also a leading cause. As water pollution becomes more severe, Zimbabwe's government is forced to spend as much as $3 million a month on water treatment. Water that is provided by the government is often unsafe to drink and has led to distrust in government and a major cholera outbreak due to poor water consumption. (thestandard.co.zw, 2013)
Nebraska Water quality
According to scientists from the University of Arkansas, water contamination levels on Indian reservations in Nebraska far exceed national averages. Nearby animal waste and septic systems, livestock farming, and outdated wells are the leading causes of the contamination. Native American well owners lack the funds to improve their wells, and bottled water may be the only safe alternative. High nitrate-nitrogen levels have been linked to vulnerability for Baby-blue Syndrome and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The scientists also recorded the presence of coliform bacteria, which can cause health problems such as typhoid fever, Hepatitis A, and bacterial gastroenteritis. (cnn, 2000)
Solutions to Water Pollution
One way that the city of Bettendorf could conserve water would be to reward its residents for using less water by giving them a discount off their water bill. Lower water payments would make people less careless about how much water they use at home. Likewise, the city could raise water prices for people who use excessive amounts of water each month. This would discourage Bettendorf residents from wasting water and promote conservation.
Putting restrictions on watering lawns and gardens would be another effective method for Bettendorf to decrease its water usage. By only letting certain addresses water on certain days of the week, the city could potentially save hundreds of gallons of water. Bettendorf could also limit car washing and recreational water use. Small changes such as these could prove to have a major impact on water output by the city.
Bettendorf Household
There are several simple steps that can be taken to conserve water in an average Bettendorf household that could have a major impact on the environment. Taking shorter showers, turning off the running faucet, and checking toilets/pipes for leaks are all methods for decreasing water use. Washing the car and watering the lawn/garden less can help conserve water outside of the household as well. Also, one can educate his/her neighbors and community about the importance of water conservation.
Bettendorf's solution
The easiest and simplest method that the city government could order in the name of water conservation would be a restriction on unnecessary water use. This would include limiting the times that residents could water their lawns/gardens and wash their vehicles. An example of this would be letting even numbered house addresses water on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and letting odd numbered households water on the other days of the week. The government could also place harsher water management regulations on businesses and factories, and penalizing them for using excessive amounts of water. However, this would be more difficult because businesses would most likely struggle with stricter limits and be forced to lay off workers or make less products. Overall, lawn watering restrictions is the easiest and most effective method that the city of Bettendorf could order.