Drinking Water Qualty and Water Pollution Essay - 2091 Words

â€Å"Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth... these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between drinking water quality, global health, and climate change. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.† -- Ron Fleischli -- Water Program Director -- When we think about life on earth, what is the main component that other planets do not have in order to sustain life? Although there are many differences between earth and the other planets in the solar system, it is the presence of water on the earth’s surface that makes life possible. It has come to knowledge that water is one part of the building blocks of existence on earth. Mankind has discovered that water has†¦show more content†¦With an already incredibly small percentage of water available to drink (about 1%), the issue of water quality came into focus. In the 1970’s, a â€Å"Green Revolution† raised concerns about the possible pollution of the drinking water supply. In 1972, the federal government adopted the Clean Water Act with its main goals being to â€Å"eliminate the discharge of pollutants, maintain the policy that protects the public from cancer-causing pollutants and other toxic poisons, maintain the concept that industry must u se the best available technology to control pollution, and to provide an adequate funding for publicly owned treatment plans† (EPA). These goals were established for the sole purpose of keeping a close eye on the quality of America’s water. This Act was the first major step towards controlling the nation’s pollution problems with reference to water. The EPA set up 4 standards to water quality. They are as follows: â€Å"Designated uses of the water body, such as recreation, water supply, etc, water quality criteria to protect designated uses, an anti-degradation policy to maintain and protect existing uses and high quality waters, and general policies addressing implementation issues such as variances† (EPA). These standards are in place throughout the country, and the better they are enforced, the likelihood that water ways will not suffer from pollution