The Current State of Water Pollution in New Jersey - Case Study Example

The current of water pollution in New Jersey and what the is doing to improve it Myriad technologies exist in today’s world. These technologies have elevated the rate of industrialization thus increasing the rate of air and water pollution across the globe. Air and water are critically essential to the sustainable well-being of both animals and plants, therefore, there is need to conserve and prevent them from being contaminated. The state of New Jersey, for instance, has of recent years suffered massive water pollution that has threatened the lives of its citizens. For the pollution in New Jersey to be mitigated and brought to a halt, there is a great need for the state government to put up workable plans geared towards making water safer for consumption. This essay will examine the various things that the state government of New Jersey is doing so as to bring the water pollution problem to a stop. New Jersey is a state that hugely relies on tourism. In fact, research reveals that the tourism industry in New Jersey is the one of the largest employers in the state (Conference in the Matter of Pollution 1). This is attributed to the fact that the state boasts of one hundred and twenty seven miles of the Atlantic coastline, numerous public beaches, and the Jersey Shore. The long stretch of the coastal line, from Middletown up to Cape May Point, makes it a major attraction for visitors and tourists every year.The state has been struggling for a long period of time with pollution. The beaches receive a big number of visitors each year. This puts the beaches at risk because of the high number of visitors. If not well managed, the beaches will become too dirty and unsafe for human beings, as well as the aquatic animals. But because the state is dependent on tourism, a lot is being done in order to ensure safety for the waters. Unclean water is very risky to human beings. Swimming in contaminated water exposes one to infection, for example, skin rash, infection of the respiratory system, stomach infections, and many other health problems. In the article “pollution in New Jersey”, one of the major risk factor affecting the water purity is storm water runoff. Storm water just dumps into the sea making it very unsafe. All the dirt from the land draining in to the waters can be very hazardous. Another factor is sewage overflows. The water holds bacteria that are very harmful, not only to the health of the people, but also to plants and aquatic animals. These are some of the challenges facing New Jersey. If the water gets contaminated then the tourists will be pushed away, therefore leading to revenue losses. Other problems being faced in New Jersey include pollutants getting in to the water. Such pollutants include polychlorinated biphenyls, phosphorus, arsenic and low dissolved oxygen. Mostly they come from domestic sewages, urban sewages, polluted air, and storm water. Such pollutants render the water unsafe. Pollutants also impair the water, which means that the water is rendered unsafe for human beings, plants, and aquatic animals. Miller (27) reveals that when water is impaired it means that it cannot be used for swimming, domestic use, and fishing. The United States Environmental protection Agency, (EPA), came up with a list of the most polluted New Jersey’s waters. The list included the type of pollutants affecting the water, and a list of water bodies under threat. These included rivers, lakes and streams all over the state. Threatened water means that in a period of two years, the water will be rendered unsafe. This revelation came as a surprise because it was clear that not much was being done to preserve the precious commodity. But thanks to the research, the state is now working on measures to control water pollution. A major problem that New Jersey has been struggling with for a long period of time is deposits from oil industries. Whether planned or accidental, toxic deposits on land are very hazardous because when it rains, or when the snow melts, the chemicals sip in to the water and end up contaminating the underground water. They can also be washed away in to the rivers and lakes, therefore posing a big problem to the water bodies. When pipelines rupture, the same danger is posed to the soil. Overflows of tanks and leakages are equally dangerous. They are very harmful to all types of water bodies. If such industries are not held accountable, then the problem will only get worse. But thanks to the regulations that the state has provided for such industries, a lot of care is put in order to ensure the safety of the water (Pollution in New Jersey). According to Miller (27), there are several sources of water pollution in New Jersey. For example, the daily activities like agricultural practices end up impacting on the waters. Use of herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers on land and around the homes account for the wastes that end up in the water bodies. Technology will not go without blame. Facilities that produce energy for example the power plants, contribute massively to water pollution. Even worse, is their proximity to the water bodies. Wastes from land development, urban areas, and vehicles also aggravate the situation even more. To make matters worse, these are the hardest to manage and control; this is because, as long as there are vehicles on the road, pollution will not be eliminated. The urban area continues to grow. This means that the strain on the environment is increased continually by the day. The only way to try and limit pollution is by ensuring that the urban areas like New Jersey have good drainage systems. In the article “Industrial pollution prevention planning “, Human beings are destroying the environment in many ways. Even the innocent looking activities for example irrigation still cause problems of water pollution. There are areas in New Jersey where agricultural activities take place; for example livestock keeping could lead to water pollution. Even pets at home produce wastes that are toxic to the water bodies. Residential places have septic tanks, which are prone to experiencing leakages. Such instances cannot be avoided but they are there, and they are polluting the water by producing bacteria and other nutrients which are not friendly to the water bodies. Lack of proper waste management is one of the leading factors of pollution. In fact, plastics around the homes and even beaches are very dangerous. Because plastics are not biodegradable, their presence in the water becomes quite a nuisance, especially to aquatic life. This is Why in New Jersey; the state is working hard to ensure that no plastics are dumped in to the water. This is not easy because of the large number of people who visit he beaches. What the state is doing now is to first assess the most affected water bodies, and find a way to treat them. After that, the threatened water bodies will be identified, and they will be made a priority, in an effort to reduce and curb pollution. The state has decided to invest in infrastructure, including the implementation of green infrastructure to help in controlling storm water runoff and sewer overflows. The formation of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has also played a big role in tackling the problem of water pollution. The department has been instrumental in putting in place very strict regulations that govern the drainage systems and dumping in New Jersey, especially, along the harbor. The joint efforts of the state and the local agencies have helped in maintaining the waters of New Jersey. And most encouraging is the efforts put in by the local community groups who have been working very hard to make sure that the water is clean and of good quality (Water Environment Federation 2). It is not easy to control pollution because the origin and the cause of pollutants cannot be easily identified. Moreover, the sources widely vary. The Clean Water Act requires every state in the United States to assess their waters, compile their findings and report to the EPA after a period of two years. This way, states will know the quality of their waters, and they will be better positioned to tackle the problems, before they get out of hand. In New Jersey, the most affected waters include the Passaic River, River Hackensack, and Lake Hopatcong. But things are slowly changing because the government is committed to ensuring that the waters of New Jersey remain healthy and of good quality (Water Environment Federation 2). New Jersey has introduced a program dubbed the Clean Marina Program which works to protect the coastal areas, including the vegetation and animals that live by the shore. It is a brilliant program that also ensures that the people working along the shores, like those who own marinas, employ practices that do not cause harm to the water and aquatic life. A storm water management program has also been formed. The article “Industrial pollution control measurement & instrumentation,” explains that this program works to prevent pollution of water by storm water and run offs. It is a beneficial program because it ensures that permits are issued in an effective manner. This way, all the water going in to the environment is clean and does not pose any threat to the water bodies. In conclusion, it is clear that the New Jersey state is working hard in order to ensure that its water bodies go back to the state in which they were a long time ago. Although it may not be easy to stop pollution, the efforts being put in by the government, will in the long run ensure that the people are never affected by the scourge of polluted. The state is also interested in maintaining the beauty of the rivers, lakes and wet lands, as well as ensuring that aquatic life is preserved. Works Cited Cheremisinoff, P. N., & New Jersey Institute of Technology. (1976). Industrial pollution control measurement & instrumentation: Proceedings of a specialty conference given at New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, March 22-23, 1976. Westport, Conn: Technomic Pub. Co. Conference in the Matter of Pollution of the Navigable Waters of Eastern New Jersey, Shark River to Cape May, & United States. (1968). Conference; pollution of the navigable waters of Eastern New Jersey, Shark River to Cape May: Proceedings. Washington: Federal Water Pollution Control Administration Miller, D. A. (2007). Pollution. Detroit: Greenhaven Press New Jersey. (1993). Industrial pollution prevention planning: Meeting requirements under the New Jersey Pollution Prevention Act. Trenton, N.J.: The Office. Stansfield, L., Eisler, B., American Lung Association of New Jersey.,& New Jersey. (1989). Air pollution in New Jersey: Problems, programs, progress. Union, N.J: American Lung Association of New Jersey. Water Environment Federation. Water environment research: a research publication of the Water Environment Federation. United States: Alexandria, 1992, Print. Read More