The Chartiers Creek watershed is located in southwestern PA and flows north for 52.4 miles through Allegheny and Washington counties. It has two sections: the upper section that is mostly located in Allegheny county, and the lower section in north/central Washington county. It’s overall size is approximately 227 square miles and it discharges into the Ohio river at McKees Rocks. Chartiers Creek’s water is utilized for agricultural, recreational, and domestic purposes (Dunkle, 2016). The upper portion supports around 68,500 people (there is a total of 36 public water supply wells) while the lower portion supports about 600,000.
While the creek supports so many people, it is also highly polluted. According to Stokum, it is “one of the most complicated …show more content…
Fresh water is used every day for drinking, washing, plants, and without it the human body could not function. Human beings need water to replenish their supplies, lubricate joints, and nourish the brain, muscles, and organs. Which means that solutions for conserving water is key. One method is using black shade balls where water is plentiful. Shade balls save water by reducing evaporation and preventing harmful growth. For example, there are currently 96 million in a Los Angeles reservoir that contains 3.3 billion gallons of water. These four inch balls can reduce up to 90% of the evaporation, and in the past two years Los Angeles has saved over 15% of their water supply. They only cost 36 cents each and will last 25 years. Despite the fact that Los Angeles has only spent $34.5 million on them, which according to Howard (2015), “equate[s] to saving nearly 300 million gallons a year, enough to provide drinking water for 8,100 people”, there are still disadvantages. For instance, they are made with new high density polyethylene that has to be recycled. By saving water, they inadvertently waste water from the process of recycling polyethylene. Since there is only a small amount of potable water on Earth, humans need to constantly think of new ideas that will conserve it. After use, water needs to be treated …show more content…
It is formed when pyrite, an iron sulfide, reacts with air and water to form sulfuric acid and dissolved iron. (“What is Acid Mine Drainage”). AMD causes loss of aquatic life, and restricts stream usage for recreation, drinking water, and industrial water supplies. It is also the primary pollutant of surface water in the mid-Atlantic region. Acid runoff further diffuses sulfur, copper, lead, and mercury into the ground or surface
While the creek supports so many people, it is also highly polluted. According to Stokum, it is “one of the most complicated …show more content…
Fresh water is used every day for drinking, washing, plants, and without it the human body could not function. Human beings need water to replenish their supplies, lubricate joints, and nourish the brain, muscles, and organs. Which means that solutions for conserving water is key. One method is using black shade balls where water is plentiful. Shade balls save water by reducing evaporation and preventing harmful growth. For example, there are currently 96 million in a Los Angeles reservoir that contains 3.3 billion gallons of water. These four inch balls can reduce up to 90% of the evaporation, and in the past two years Los Angeles has saved over 15% of their water supply. They only cost 36 cents each and will last 25 years. Despite the fact that Los Angeles has only spent $34.5 million on them, which according to Howard (2015), “equate[s] to saving nearly 300 million gallons a year, enough to provide drinking water for 8,100 people”, there are still disadvantages. For instance, they are made with new high density polyethylene that has to be recycled. By saving water, they inadvertently waste water from the process of recycling polyethylene. Since there is only a small amount of potable water on Earth, humans need to constantly think of new ideas that will conserve it. After use, water needs to be treated …show more content…
It is formed when pyrite, an iron sulfide, reacts with air and water to form sulfuric acid and dissolved iron. (“What is Acid Mine Drainage”). AMD causes loss of aquatic life, and restricts stream usage for recreation, drinking water, and industrial water supplies. It is also the primary pollutant of surface water in the mid-Atlantic region. Acid runoff further diffuses sulfur, copper, lead, and mercury into the ground or surface