Water Pollution Has Affected Our Lives

Many places around the world are experiencing the dangers of pollution. Every two minutes, approximately 15 children will die from a disease linked to water pollution ("Pollution Issues"). Water pollution has affected our lives in many ways. In Charleston, West Virginia, last January, a chemical spill took place, damaging the lives of many people. Over 300,000 people were affected by this occurrence. The coal and other chemicals got into the tap water and left many people with no source of safe drinking water. This is not the only time or place that a tragedy of this magnitude has taken place. In 2008, a coal spill washed over 300 acres of land and water in Tennessee. Once again, millions of people were left with no choice but to drink the contaminated water. Not only were the people of Tennessee effected, but so was …show more content…
For example, “pesticides and fertilizers used in agriculture and on golf courses and suburban lawn accounts for a major portion of nonpoint sources of pollution. Runoff from parking lots and roads flush spilled oil and gasoline and road salt into lakes and streams. Runoff containing manure from livestock and poultry producers has been a major source of surface water pollution” (“Pollution Issues”). Runoff is something that happens when it rains and water seeps into rivers, lakes, or oceans. It can cause many effects on the environment. Fertilizer is bad because it can increase weed growth. When the runoff gets into sewers, it can lead to the fertilizer getting onto the plants, and lead to excessive weed growth. Too many weeds can cause low oxygen levels in the water (“Causes of Poor”). Severe weather such as droughts and floods also have a big impact on poor water quality. There has also been cases of hurricanes impacting the rivers. A storm hurricane in 1999 in North Carolina washed the contents of hog waste lagoons into streams and rivers and contaminated the drinking water