What are some of the common threats to drinking water?
Most water contamination is the result of human activity. Agriculture, industry and urban development can all adversely affect the quality and quantity of our surface and groundwater. Water contamination can happen in one of two ways. “Point source pollution” enters the water system at a specific place from an identifiable source. This includes industrial discharges, oil and chemical spills, wastewater discharges from municipal sewage treatment plants and septic systems, or leaking storage tanks. “Non-point source pollution” is caused when rain or snow runs over land and picks up natural and man-made pollutants before entering a body of water or an aquifer. Examples include agricultural runoff (manure, pesticides and fertilizers) and urban runoff from streets and sidewalks (oil, salt, pesticides, pet droppings, chemicals, litter).
