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Water Sustainability and Quality

Water Sustainability and Quality

Update: Nov. 23, 2011 -

Palm Beach County proposes fertilizer rules aimed at reducing water pollution /via sun-sentinel.com

Issue Overview

Water sustainability hinges on maintaining water quality. Water sustainability refers to the perpetuation of the global water cycle, from groundwater to evaporation to rain and back to groundwater again. When the cycle is threatened, water quality is also threatened. Climate change causes expansion of water, as well as melting glaciers and ice caps. This causes the sea level to rise, increasing the likelihood that salt water will find its way into our fresh water reserves. Likewise, if groundwater levels drop too low due to overextraction, salt water can seep into our supply of freshwater.

Droughts, the high demand for water during the winter dry season, overdevelopment...

..., agricultural demands, and municipal, commercial and power plant use, all result in an amazing amount of water usage. Pesticides, fertilizers, and other contaminants eventually finds their way into the groundwater, too. All of these factors together result in less and lower quality water each year.

Why does it matter to me?

Our future will be impacted by the choices we make today. Palm Beach County's rate of growth must not exceed the water supplies available to sustain it. In recent years, Palm Beach County residents felt the effects of water shortage first-hand. To cope with the shortage, new rules limited the days of the week and the times of day residents could water lawns. Though the drought that lead to regulation has ended, the water restrictions persist, as water managers try to supply a growing population with limited resources.

What can I do?

Conserving water will help protect our water supply as well as prevent our fresh water reserves from being contaminated by salt water. Palm Beach County can be affected by salt water intrusion, and one way to help protect our fresh water aquifer is conservation. You can contribute to the conservation effort by watching water usage both indoors and outdoors, and by advocating for laws and regulations that will protect our water supply.