Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Agricultural irrigation runoff carries with it fertilizers and chemi-
cal residues that create problems similar to those caused by
urban storm water runoff.
Man-made pollutants like the now-outlawed gasoline additive
MTBE have found their way into drinking water supplies in some
areas along the East Coast, including parts of New Hampshire.
Nature provides its share of pollutants, too. Naturally occur-
ring arsenic is a problem in areas of New Hampshire, New Jersey,
Maine, and even California.
Bottled water has its own issues, including contaminants in the
bottle, according to studies.
•
•
•
NOTES
1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Register Environmental
Documents, “National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Ground Water
Rule, 71 Fed. Reg. 65573-65660 (November 8, 2006), http://epa.gov/EPA-
WATER/2006/November/Day-08/w8763.htm.
2. Michael F. Craun, Gunther F. Craun, Rebecca L. Cauldron, and Michael J.
Beach, “Waterborne outbreaks reported in the United States,”
Journal of Water
and Health
4, Suppl. 2 (2006):19-30, http://epa.gov/nheerl/articles/2006/
waterborne_disease/waterborne_outbreaks.pdf.
3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Source Water Protections: Frequent
Questions,” http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/sourcewater/sourcewater.cfm? action
=FAQ.
4. U.S. Geological Survey, “Man-Made Organic Compounds in Source Water
of Nine Community Water Systems that Withdraw from Streams, 2002-05,”
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3094/pdf/fs2008-3094.pdf.
5. U.S. Geological Survey News Release, “Man-Made Chemicals Found in
Drinking Water at Low Levels,” December 5, 2008, http://water.usgs.gov/
nawqa/swqa/GuidanceDocuments/pressrelease.pdf.
6. The cities included Albuquerque, New Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore,
Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Detroit,
Michigan; Fresno, California; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California;
Manchester, New Hampshire; New Orleans, Louisiana; Newark, New Jersey;
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; San Diego, California; San
Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; and Washington, DC, Natural
Resources Defense Council fact sheet, http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/
uscities/popup_drinkingwater.htm.
