Topic 7 Virginia Beach Water Quality Essay PDF

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Sara Glass BIO-220 8/29/2020 Professor Norris

Virginia Beach Water Quality Virginia Beach Public Utilities serves nearly one-half million citizens with 8 pump stations and 11 water towers (Water Quality 2017). The water, which is tested nearly 400 times per month is sourced from Lake Gaston, Lake Prince, and Norfolk. According to the 2020 water quality report, Virginia Beach water met all Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standards for the entire calendar year of 2019. Despite having met all EPA standards, there is still cause for concern. Water is only able to meet the established standards due to the extreme amount of treatment polluted water receives. This is not only case in Virginia Beach, but all over the country and world. The Virginia Beach water quality report cites several contaminant sources. Microbial contaminants include bacteria and viruses (2020 Water Quality Report, 2019). One source of these contaminants is agricultural runoff. In addition, there are inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals. These, too, can be attributed in part to farming operations. There are also herbicide and pesticides, which can come from many sources, but often include agricultural operations. The report also cites organic chemical contaminants as well as radioactive contaminants. However, these two contributors are not typically associated with farming operations and more likely to have sourced from chemical plants and mining activities.

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Since agricultural operations have shown to be contributors to pollution in three of the five categories listed in the report, let us take a deeper look at the impact of agricultural runoff. Farmers use herbicides to kill off unwanted vegetation or weeds. Similarly, pesticides are used to kill unwanted pests and insects as well as fungus, bacteria, and plant diseases. The concern with the use of pesticides are the possible affects they can have on humans. For instance, some pesticides attack the nervous system, while others have been found to contain carcinogens, which cause cancer (Hancock, 2016). And still others affect hormones and the endocrine system. There are many factors that play a role in the toxicity of each pesticide, which cannot be covered in detail here. However, all pesticides used by farmers and humans in general make their way to our water system easily, so it is important to be conscious of what type of pesticide is being used. Though pesticides play an important role in increasing yield and allowing land to be used and reused, the chemicals remain in the soil for lengthy amounts of time. Furthermore, when rain saturates the soil, and the soil can not absorb all the water, drainage occurs through natural or artificial means. This drainage carries the pesticides along with the water to the water collection area. Therefore, some portion of every pesticide is carried to our drinking water sources. In addition, these pesticides affect our lakes by increasing algal blooms which kill fish and makes swimmers at risk for becoming ill. We know that both weeds and pests, including diseases can be fatal to a farmer’s crop. Without a healthy crop turn out, farmers face financial ruins and the general population will experience a food shortage. So, the need for pesticide will remain. However, there are steps that farmers as well as the general population can take to reduce the impact of pesticides on drinking water. The EPA recommends that farmers use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques based on the specific soils, climate, pest history, and crop conditions for a particular field

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lieu of natural barriers and implements best management practices to reduce the amount of pesticides that move from the field of application. Farmers can also utilize conservation practices that reduce runoff and soil erosion. For example, planting cover crops or grass reduces the amount of runoff. The creation of buffer strips between the field in which pesticides are being used and the water source can help to reduce the amount of pesticide making its way into the water source (Undesser, 2019). When a growing season has ended, it is best to leave the dead crops in place, rather than tilling or cleaning the area up. Plants and grass serve as a filter for moving water. Another good practice is the rotation of crops. When crops are rotated, this sometimes reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides. Every reduction in chemical application matters. In addition to crop rotation, it is important that farmers eliminate or reduce soil compaction (Christina Curell, 2019). When soil is loose, it has an increased ability to absorb water along with any pesticide residue in the field. When soil is compacted, it has a reduced capacity to absorb and allows rainwater to transport pesticides more easily from the field to the nearby water source. In conclusion, farmers and even hobby gardeners and homeowners should be informed when choosing if, when, and what pesticides to apply and each should put thought in how to reduce or eliminate impact on the surrounding water sources.

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References Christina Curell, M. (2019, February 08). Keeping herbicides out of groundwater and surface water. Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_to_keep_herbicides_out_of_groundwater_and_surfac e_water_1 Hancock, N. (2016, December 11). Pesticides and Water Pollution. Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/pesticides Protecting Water Quality from Agricultural runoff [Brochure]. (2005). Washington, DC. Undesser, E. (2019, February 14). 6 Steps to Reduce Herbicide Runoff, Leaching. Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://agfaxweedsolutions.com/2019/02/14/6-steps-to-reduceherbicide-runoff-leaching/ Water Quality. (2017). Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-utilities/waterquality/Pages/default.aspx Water Quality Report. (2019). Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-utilities/waterquality/Documents/2020CCR_WEB 2020 Water Quality Report [Brochure]. (2019). Virginia Beach, VA....