Prevent Water Pollution
- by: CSI High School
- recipient: United States House of Representatives
70% of Earth's surface is made up of water. Unfortunately, this resource is being depleted and becoming hazardous. Pollution occurs when harmful substances are emitted directly into a body of water or a source delivers pollutants indirectly through environmental changes. The materials being dumped into the oceans, lakes and other bodies of water negatively affect the surrounding animals, environment, people and plants. Chemical Pollution kills aquatic organisms in the water and upsets the eco systems they create. Large number of deaths can be attributed to oil spills. Similarly, aquatic plants cannot survive when the sunlight is blocked by the massive amounts of litter in the water. Lastly, humans are suffering due to pollution. Many people are living without access to clean drinking water and therefore become deathly ill in many cases. The lack of clean water exists throughout many parts of the world. Please Help and Protect Our Water!
We the undersigned request that more action be taken by the government to prevent water pollution. The hazardous water is affecting our people, animals, plants and environments. The number of deaths that can be attributed to the unclean water is saddening.
The sources of water pollution according to a 2004 study comprised mainly sewage treatment plants (54%), manufacturing industries (38%), animal farms (5%) and agro-based industries (3%). The chemicals spilled into the environment from the sewage treatment plants and manufacturing industries immediately kill fish and all life forms in the water. This is also true for humans. Unclean water can cause a number of diseases including Diarrhea, Intestinal worms, Trachoma, Schistosomiasis and Cholera.
Another major cause of the deaths of aquatic animals and plants is oil spills. In 1989 the Exxon Valdez spilled millions of gallons of oil in Alaska. As a result of the spill 250,000 animals died along with 500,000 aquatic birds. Almost 20 years later, the habitats are still suffering from the affects of the oil spill.
We urge the House of Representatives to work towards ending the problem of water pollution. Strong laws preventing industries from dumping materials into the water need to be created. Industries need to reduce the amount of chemicals they release into lakes, oceans and other bodies of water. Also, it is important for the government to create programs to assist those most affected by the pollution.
One way to begin the process would be to better enforce the Clean Water Act created in 1972. This enforces wastewater standards for industry and municipal sewage treatment plants. The Act also requires that EPA and local authorities issue water quality standards for surface water bodies.
Thank You for taking time to read this letter and I sincerely hope that you consider the actions we are requesting.
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