WATER CONSERVATION IMPORTANT LAWS Agricultural Conservation agriculture is

WATER CONSERVATION & IMPORTANT LAWS

Agricultural Conservation * agriculture is biggest user & polluter of water § No-till farming: Retain crop residue- slows water § Minimize plowing & forest cutting on steep slopes- use terracing § Conserve wetlands- reduces flooding & retains aquifer recharge zones § Genetic engineering- drought resistant crops

Domestic Conservation § Largest domestic use is toilet flushing. – Before 1982: 5 -7 gal/flush – 1982 -1993: 3. 5 gal/flush – After 1993: 1. 6 gal/flush § Some people say… If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down. § What the heck is a waterless toilet? – Toilet & kitchen waste drop into a digester with bacteria that compost wastes to be used as yard fertilizer Clivus Multrum model of waterless toilet

Domestic Conservation (inside) § Check for leaks around pipes § Low flow showerheads; take shorter showers § Turn water off when washing hands, dishes, or brushing teeth § Efficient dishwashers & washing machines § Wash full loads § Collect grey water from bathtub to flush toilets or fill washing machine.

Domestic Conservation (outside) § Use gray water (recycled water) for watering lawns, washing cars, etc. § Use rain barrels to catch rain runoff to use in gardens in times of drought § Native plant landscaping- native plants are better able to handle their natural environment § Xerophyte Landscaping- plants that don’t require much water (cacti, aloe, prairie grasses)

Industrial Conservation § RECYCLE § Recycling things like paper & aluminum consumes less water than primary manufacturing process. § Don’t buy or use materials that contain harmful chemicals. § Support companies that reuse water (car washes that recycle water) § Reduce energy consumption

WATER LAWS All laws in yellow are most important for you to know…

Water Rights Laws Historically… § Historically, water policies worked against conservation… § Riparian rights- those who lived along a river bank had right to use as much water as they wanted as long as it didn’t interfere with quality or supply to neighbors downstream – Mostly Eastern U. S. – Assumed water was endless § Prior appropriation rights- “ 1 st come, 1 st served”; people downstream have more rights to the water if they have been there longer. – Mostly Western U. S. – Water had to be put to beneficial use or they would lose it. Many water owners were reluctant to conserve water for fear of losing rights.

Federal Water Pollution Control Act (1948) § Created comprehensive programs for eliminating or reducing the pollution of interstate water and improving the sanitary condition of surface and underground water supplies § Reauthorized & amended in 1972 and became known as Clean Water Act § General law that indicated something should be done to protect water

Water Quality Act (1965) § Established water purity standards with states retaining initial responsibility for water purity. § Amended in 1987

Clean Water Act (1972) § Determined to “restore & maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters” § Gave EPA authority to implement pollution control programs like setting wastewater discharge standards for industry § Continued water quality standards (see previous law) § Est. National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) which made it unlawful to discharge from a point source unless had a permit from EPA – Must disclose what they are dumping § Grant programs to identify & clean up nonpoint source pollution § Grant programs to fund sewage treatment plants.

Clean Water Act (1972) § Section 404 – Regulates draining or filling of wetland – Farmers and land developers especially do not like this part of the law b/c it dictates how they use their land. – Mitigation- if wetland must be destroyed, a new one must be re-created somewhere else

Clean Water Act (1972) § Est. Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL’s) – Set for each pollutant – Amount of a particular pollutant that a water body can receive from point and non-point sources. – Takes into account seasonal variation – Of the 3. 5 million miles of rivers, only 300, 000 fail to meet their clean water goals.

Clean Water Act (1972) § Goal was to make US surface waters “fishable & swimmable” § Have not reached that goal but have made most waters “boatable”- water quality doesn’t have to be that high to be boatable. § Many fish in surface waters are making a come back but many are still contaminated with heavy metals; heavy metal contaminants are still in sediment in soil so are still a problem. Don’t dissolve in water § Most people live within 10 miles of an impaired body of water.

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (1972) § Most important international agreement on water quality § Expresses the commitment of Canada and the U. S. to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem

Lake Erie Success Story § Labeled as “dead” in 1960’s § Now, bacteria counts & algal blooms are down by 90% § Murky brown water now clear thanks to introduced zebra mussels which filter water. § 96% of shoreline safe for swimming § In 1970’s only 100 pairs of nesting cormorants- now 400, 000 pairs

Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) § Est. standards for safe drinking water in the U. S. § Est. Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL’s) for chemicals in drinking water § Among contaminants regulated: – Bacteria, nitrates, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, fluoride, lead, mercury, silver, pesticides, radioactivity, turbidity

Marine Protection Research & Sanctuaries Act (1972) § Regulates ocean dumping and established sanctuaries for protection of endangered marine species

Ports of Waterways Safety Act (1972) § Regulates oil transport and the operation of oil handling facilities.

Ocean Dumping Ban Act (1988) § Unlawful for any person to dump or transport for the purpose of dumping sewage, sludge, or industrial waste into the ocean.

Oil Spill Prevention and Liability Act (1990) § Strengthened the EPA’s ability to prevent and respond to catastrophic oil spills.

Law of the Sea Treaty (1990) Also referred to as London Dumping Convention of 1990 § Signed by 64 nations § Phasing out of all ocean dumping of industrial wastes, tankwashing effluent, and plastic trash by 1995.

Hazardous Waste Laws § Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 1976 - Regulates the storage, shipping, processing, and disposal of hazardous wastes and sets limits on the sewering of toxic chemicals. § Toxic Substances Control Act (TOSCA) 1976 categorizes toxic substances, est. research programs & regulates use & disposal of poisonous chemicals. § Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) 1980 & Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) 1984 - Provide for sealing, excavation, or remediation of toxic & hazardous waste dumps. Also called Superfund Act

LAWS ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS… § The degree to which they are not weakened by later amendments and exceptions § The degree to which they are funded for research and enforcement