- Author: Derek Nixon
Published on: November 13, 2012
The New York Times ran a feature article today on polluted tapwater in California's Tulare Basin and Salinas Valley based on a study by UC Davis faculty (including several CCWAS trainers) for the California State Water Resources Control Board released in May. The New York Times reports that an estimated 20% of small public water systems in Tulare County are unable to meet acceptable levels of Nitrate in drinking water. Key findings of the UC Davis study include:
- Drinking water supply actions, such as water treatment and finding alternative water supplies, are most cost-effective. However, well supplies will become less available as nitrate pollution continues to spread.
- While many options exist to provide safe drinking water, there is no single or ideal solution for every community affected.
- Agricultural fertilizers and animal manure applied to cropland are the two largest regional sources of nitrate leached to groundwater — representing more than 90 percent of the total.
- Reducing nitrate in the groundwater is possible, with methods such as improved fertilizer management and water treatment. Costs range from modest to quite expensive.
- Directly removing nitrate from large groundwater basins is extremely costly and not technically feasible.
You can read the report's press release here, with a link to the full study.
Attached Files
UC Davis Nitrate Study Summary
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