Pollution and Water Quality
According to the United Nations, declining water quality has become a global issue of concern as human populations grow, industrial and agricultural activities expand, and climate change threatens to cause major alterations to the hydrological cycle. Resources available in this sub-theme include manuals describing water quality testing and treatment, reports and assessments of water quality from around the world, methods of maintaining water quality and managing pollution, and other resources that support enabling environments for effective water quality control.
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Pollution and Water Quality Resources
Quick Resource: Stormwater Quality
Published:
December 1, 2013The National Institutes for Water Resources
To combat the threat and elusive nature of nonpoint source pollution, the EPA has turned to Green Infrastructure (GI) to help treat runoff. Green infrastructure is an effective pollution prevention option for nonpoint source pollution in several ways.Read more
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United States, North AmericaQuick Resource: Stormwater Quantity
Published:
December 1, 2013The National Institutes for Water Resources
Rainwater harvesting can help ameliorate the effects of development on natural hydrology. In fact, a major goal of low impact development (LID) is to mimic a site's natural hydrology as much as possible. LID practices can even restore a watershed's hydrological functions. Water harvesting...Read more
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United States, North AmericaField Manual for Water Quality Sampling
Published:
July 1, 1996The National Institutes for Water Resources
The overriding objective of this manual is to provide consistent field sampling protocols for the numerous agencies and individuals who require water quality information. However, it is not intended to replace any sampling plan. The Spanish-language version of this manual also is available to help...Read more
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United States, North AmericaUniversity of Michigan Water Center-Supported Large Research Grants
Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan
The Water Center has awarded over $4.6 million in large grants to bolster freshwater research and restoration and protection efforts throughout the Great Lakes region and beyond. This site includes factsheets for all Water Center large grants.Read more
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United StatesUniversity of Michigan Water Center-Supported Leveraging Resource Grants
Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan
The Water Center has awarded over $1 million in grants to support projects that leverage ongoing freshwater research and restoration and protection efforts in order to take them a step further. This site includes factsheets for all Water Center leveraging grants.Read more
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United StatesFracking: An Environmental Justice Issue
Published:
July 2, 2021Fracking is a major issue in many environmental justice debates. Fracking is the process of using chemically altered water and sludge mixtures to drill into cracks deep underground and extract oil and natural gas. While fracking is efficient at extracting petroleum products, it can be extremely...Read more
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United StatesFlint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know
Published:
July 9, 2021Natural Resources Defense Council
Flint, Michigan’s experience with government mismanagement and pollution has propelled it to the forefront of many environmental justice conversations. Flint, a majority black city north of Detroit, experienced dangerous decreases in water quality after policymakers took the city’s water system off...Read more
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United StatesDealing With The Soup of Chemicals That Can Get Into Your Drinking Water
Published:
July 9, 2021All the things that go down the drain and end up at the wastewater treatment plant are not removed there. Some of the industrial byproducts that end up in sewers, the agricultural chemicals that runoff farmland, and pharmaceuticals that pass through our bodies all can end up in our streams and...Read more
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United StatesCommunity-Based Approaches Combined with National Policy Implications Represent the Future of Environmental Justice Research
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July 22, 2021From its earliest days, environmental justice research has been rooted in the social movement that gave its name to the field. Grassroots activists against income and racial discrimination in the placement of environmental pollutants—and the overlooking of low-income and communities of color for...Read more
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United StatesThe complicated history of environmental racism
Published:
July 22, 2021Many people understand the environment as a force of nature that cannot favor or disfavor different populations. However, similar to all things on Earth, the environment is subject to human influences. Unfortunately, these influences often tend to lower their hands to the worsts of our society...Read more
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United StatesDon't see what you're looking for? You can search USWP member sites, request a resource, or contact the USWP.