Water Pollution in Florida

Water pollution occurs when a body of water becomes contaminated. The contamination could be caused by physical debris such as plastic water bottles or rubber tires, or it could be chemical such as the runoff that finds its way into waterways from factories, cars, sewage treatment facilities, and air pollution.

Dirty and polluted water is the world’s primary health concern and persists in posing a major threat to the survival of humanity and the quality of aquatic life. Many water resources are more and more becoming vulnerable to pollution by toxic chemicals, dirt, garbage, and pathogens. Residents should use Florida dumpster rentals so they can discard their waste materials properly so they end up in the landfills, and not in Florida waters.

Florida is a national leader in water reuse. Approximately 757 million gallons per day of reclaimed water was reused for beneficial purposes in 2018. This represents about 43 percent of the total domestic wastewater flow in the state.

Unfortunately last July in Central Florida it meant an overflowing Lake Okeechobee and the dumping of millions of gallons of polluted freshwater into the region’s rivers and estuaries. The rain near Panama City also helped spark toxic algae blooms that have some calling for a $220 million water conservation and clean-up plan Florida lawmakers could take up next session.

When you imagine the Florida Keys you picture a string of tiny green islands strewn across an endless blue of water. Every which way you turn there would be water as far as the eye can see. Within this water you most likely would picture fish and corals of every colour imaginable. But pollution in the Florida Keys is a big issue, especially in the water. Sources of pollution include land based runoff, atmospheric sources, boat charges or spills, and human waste. One major source of pollution in the Florida Keys is caused by the deposit of human waste into the Florida Keys water environment.

It is time for Florida to establish limits on the water pollution that threatens families’ health and drinking water. This pollution is poisoning the rivers, lakes and streams that supply the water to kitchen taps. Floridians deserve clean drinking water, not water polluted with sewage, fertilizer and manure runoff.

Water pollution also affects local Florida businesses. Since one of Florida’s major industry is farming, farmers would not be able to use the polluted water for safety reasons. This in turn, increases the costs to import water or install water filters and makes them less competitive.

The Florida Water and Pollution Control Operators Association works in cooperation with the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (FS/AWWA), the Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Educational System to help lower water pollution.

While many of the solutions for water pollution need to be applied on a broader macro-level, we can use simple water pollution solutions that individuals, companies, and communities can take to have a significant and responsible impact on the water quality around them.

Note that what is legal is not always safe when it comes to drinking water. Harmful pollutants were found in the water at many utilities across Florida. Water Pollution in Florida is the contamination or adulteration of the water bodies, such as rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and ground water by a number of human activities. Since water is essential for all our basic needs, water pollution is a threat to all of us.