Water Quality
| British Columbia |
FACT SHEET |
CLEAN
WATER IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY
Tackling non-point
source water pollution in BC
-
- The Pollutants
- The Main Sources
- The Effects
- The Actions
- The Solution to Pollution is Prevention
The well-being
of British Columbians depends on sustainable supplies of clean
water for their physical health and for a healthy environment
to live and play in. BC's economy also depends on clean water
for activities such as fishing, agriculture, and tourism.
Although BC's water quality is generally good, localized cases
of water pollution are on the increase — problems like
public beach closures, algal blooms and aquatic weed infestations,
shellfish harvesting closures, boil-water advisories, and
contaminated ground water. These problems are largely caused
by the accumulated actions of many individuals over a wide
area. They cannot be linked to a single "point" source but,
in fact, come from several "non-point" sources.
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Non-point
Source Pollution
Non-point
source (NPS) water pollution is the release of pollutants to
surface and ground waters from one or more activities over
a broad area. Simply put, it's polluted runoff. As water flows
over and through the land surface, it carries contaminants
and debris into waterbodies. It is often the cumulative effect
of several sources and pollutants which impact the environment.
The
Pollutants
- Pathogens — like
bacteria and viruses
- Nutrients — nitrogen
and phosphorus from fertilizers and organic wastes
- Sediments — soil
and sand particles suspended in the water
- Toxins — substances
such as ammonia, nitrate, metals, pesticides, and a variety
of organic compounds
- Oxygen
Depleting Substances — organic wastes like manure and
sewage
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The Main Sources
- Land Development — construction
projects and urban development can generate sediments and other
contaminants
- Agriculture — fertilizers,
manure, pathogens, pesticides, and sediments can enter surface
and ground waters
- Stormwater
Runoff and Combined Sewer Overflows — nutrients, sediments,
pathogens, and toxins are picked up from yards, streets, parking
lots, and industrial sites and carried into our waterbodies
- On-site
Sewage Systems (i.e. septic systems) — nutrients and
pathogens can seep into ground water and surface water if the
systems are improperly installed or maintained
- Forestry
and Range — soil erosion from road building and logging
activities, fertilizer and pesticide application, and burning
are potential sources of water contamination
- Atmospheric
Deposit — pollutants released from motor vehicles and
other sources eventually settle and enter waterbodies
- Boating
Activities — vessel operation, maintenance and sewage
discharges can result in contaminants entering waterbodies
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The Effects
NPS water
pollution can cause poor quality drinking water, damage to
aquatic ecosystems, diminished recreation and tourism opportunities,
economic losses to commercial and recreational fishing and
shellfish harvesting and the costs of environmental clean-up.
The Actions
- The Ministry
of Environment, Lands and Parks (now called Ministry of Water,
Land and Air Protection) has produced an NPS
Action Plan which
outlines approaches to managing NPS pollution to improve water
quality in BC. The NPS Action Plan includes:
- educating
the public on ways to reduce pollution;
- working
with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the BC Agriculture
Council to address environmental concerns in the agricultural
industry;
- managing
sewage and stormwater through liquid waste management planning
by municipalities; and
- promoting
best management practices for industry.
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The Solution to Pollution is Prevention
Preventing
NPS water pollution takes wide-scale participation. Here are
some everyday solutions.
Around your
home: Reduce the use of hazardous cleaning products in your
house and fertilizers and pesticides in your garden.
Call the
Consumer Produce Stewardship Hotline toll-free at 1-800-505-0139
to find out how to dispose of hazardous products safely.
Around your
boat: Don't release sewage in marinas, bays or inlets. Install
a holding tank and use pump-out stations where available.
Around your
farm: Construct adequate manure storage facilities, follow
manure spreading guidelines and reduce the use of fertilizers,
herbicides and pesticides.
Around your
on-site sewage system: Have your sewage system inspected and
pumped out regularly, and don't put heavy objects or vehicles
on the septic field.
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updated: September 17, 2001
