pH Adjustment

Distilled water has an average pH of 7 (neither alkaline nor

acidic) and sea water has an average pH of 8.3 (slightly
alkaline). If the water is acidic (lower than 7), lime or soda ash
is added to raise the pH. Lime is the more common of the two
additives because it is cheaper, but it also adds to the resulting
water hardness. Making the water slightly alkaline ensures that
coagulation and flocculation processes work effectively and also
helps to minimize the risk of lead being dissolved from lead
pipes and lead solder in pipe fittings.

Point Source Pollution

Pollutants that are coming from a concentrated originating point like a
pipe from a factory or a large registered feedlot with a specific point of
discharge.
Point source pollution is from a single, identifiable source, such as a pipe
through which an industrial or municipal treatment plant releases
wastewater and pollutants into a water body.
Point sources are often controlled through effluent standards, water
quality guidelines, permitting programs and liquid waste management
plans.
Non-Point Source Pollution

The conservation district likes to explain Non-Point Source

Pollution this way. Pollutants detected in a concentrated water
source such as a stream, river or lake that come from a wide range
of sources.
These Pollutants come from sources the common person has
control over. You know, like that used oil poured into storm drains
or on the ground. It is more of a way to express the accumulation
of pollutants as a result of common, wide spread activities in both
urban and rural areas.
As water from rainfall and snowmelt flows over and through the
landscape, it picks up and carries contaminants from many
different sources. This is called Non-Point Source pollution. This
polluted water ends up in streams, lakes and the ocean by flowing
directly in or by going through untreated storm drains. Water also
carries pollutants into underground drinking water as it soaks into
the ground.
40% of all lakes and streams are too polluted to use for fishing or
swimming in the United States. Oil, hazardous toxins and disease-
causing agents contaminate waterways and drinking water and can
kill people, animals and plants
The term nonpoint is used to distinguish this type of pollution from
point source pollution, which comes from specific sources such as
sewage treatment plants or industrial facilities. Scientific evidence
shows that although huge strides have been made in cleaning up
major point sources, our precious water resources are still
threatened by the effects of polluted runoff. In fact, the
Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that this type of
 pollution is now the single largest cause of the deterioration of out
nation’s water quality.

Whatever They Call It, Why Should I Care About It?

The effects of polluted runoff are not limited to large lakes or coastal
bays. In fact, chances are you don’t have to look any farther than your
neighborhood stream or duck pond. Water pollution in your town, and
perhaps in your own backyard, can result in anything from weed-choked
ponds to fish kills to contaminated drinking water.

There’s not much chance that you can ignore this problem, even if you
want to. Concern over polluted runoff has resulted in an ever-increasing
number of state and federal laws enacted over the last five years. At the
federal level, a permit program for storm water discharges from certain
municipalities and businesses is now underway. In addition to
implementing this federal program, many states have passed laws altering
local land use (planning and zoning) processes and building codes to
address the problem of polluted runoff. The bottom line is that both
polluted runoff and its management are likely to affect you and your
community in the near future.
The mission of the NonPoint Source Water Pollution Control
Program is to protect water resources and public health from
nonpoint sources of pollution.

We accomplish this by:

1. Preventing storm water pollution of water bodies by approving

construction site plans.
2. Ensuring wetland fills do not adversely affect water quality.
3. Reviewing timber harvest plans and performing related field
inspections for forestry operations.
4. Reviewing construction plans and Storm Water Pollution
Prevention Plans for storm water discharges from industrial and
construction sites.
5. Identifying State water quality priorities and needs
6. Establishing a schedule for developing recovery plans on impaired
water bodies.
7. Providing pass-through funding and technical assistance to
municipalities, local groups, and other state agencies involved in
water quality projects.

THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF NON-POINT

SOURCE POLLUTION

• Abbotsford-Sumas Aquifer:
threats to drinking water supplies from nitrogen leachate have incurred
an economic efficiency loss * estimated at $7.8 - $17.4 million
• Brunette River Basin:
long-term degradation of water and recreational opportunities by
 urban development — total annual economic efficiency losses * of
$5.4 million.
• Salmon River (Salmon Arm):
approximately half of the 110 km of stream bank requires some degree
of remediation. The total cost of riparian zone restoration is estimated
at $1.9 million.
• Baynes Sound (Vancouver Island):
contamination of shellfish through storm water runoff, on-site sewage
seepage and agricultural runoff total annual economic efficiency
losses * of approximately $400,000.

Economic efficiency loss: The sum of the range of household risk

avoidance expenditures and the willingness-to-pay estimates to avoid
health risks...

Non-point source pollution in aquatic ecosystems can be

grouped into five main categories:

1. Pathogens
these microorganisms-bacteria, viruses, and protozoa-can cause
waterborne illnesses. While most pathogens come from human
sewage (primarily leaking or aging sewage collection systems,
onsite sewage systems, storm water runoff, and combined sewer
overflows), manure from livestock and wild animal droppings are
also common sources.

2. Oxygen Depleting Substances

when organic wastes (e.g., manure, sewage, pulp and paper mill
 effluent) decay in water, bacteria oxidize the waste, using up
oxygen dissolved in the water. If the oxygen is consumed beyond a
safe threshold, fish are stressed and will die when lethal levels are
reached. Anaerobic decomposition (without oxygen) produces
gases, such as hydrogen sulphide, that are lethal to many
organisms.

3. Nutrients
Organic wastes and fertilizers introduce plant-feeding nutrients,
such as nitrogen and phosphorus, into runoff. When onsite sewage
effluent or runoff enters a water body, nutrients can cause algal
blooms and dense weed growth that disrupt the balance of aquatic
ecosystems and interfere with recreation such as swimming and
boating. When an algal bloom occurs, oxygen in the water is
depleted, which can cause odour problems as well as kill fish and
other organisms.

4. Sediments
Suspended soil particles make water turbid and unpleasant to drink,
and increase water treatment requirements. Sediments also reduce
light available to algae and aquatic plants, kill or injure fish by
damaging their gills, cover spawning gravel and smother fish eggs,
and reduce the quality of recreational activities such as swimming
and boating.
5. Toxins
Substances as ammonia, nitrate, metals, pesticides and a variety of
organic toxins can poison humans, livestock, wildlife, and aquatic
organisms. Some toxins cause cancer. In addition, chloramines — a
comparatively persistent drinking water treatment chemical — can
be very harmful to aquatic life when discharged in fisheries-
sensitive areas.