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Water Pollution. Water Water everywhere and not a drop to drink. Canada has the 2 nd best water-quality among industrialized countries and one of the safest in the world Water is never “pure” as it picks up anything it comes into contact with
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Water Pollution Water Water everywhere and not a drop to drink
Canada has the 2nd best water-quality among industrialized countries and one of the safest in the world Water is never “pure” as it picks up anything it comes into contact with How good our drinking water is depends on where it originates from, how it is treated and how it is distributed
70% of Canadian’s water – municipal treatment plants 30% of Canadian’s water – groundwater Canada – lots of geographical diversity, therefore lots of variation in the quality of the source water
Water Quality Impacted By 2 impacts • Natural • Wildlife • Geological formations • Artificial • Agriculture • Mining • Municipal Waste Water
Greatest Risk to Water Quality Greatest Risk: Microorganisms Bacteria – cyanobacteria, E. coli Protozoa - cryptosporidium Viruses Smaller Risk: Chemical Substances Metals – lead, chromium, copper, arsenic Inorganic substances – nitrates, fluoride Organic chemicals – pesticides, benzene DPBs (disinfection by-products) – trihalomethanes (THMs), halocetic acids (HAAs), chloroform
Water Treatment Most important treatment for drinking water is disinfection Chlorine commonly used Disinfects have (mostly) eliminated waterborne diseases
Preventing PollutionMulti-Barrier Approach • Puts barriers in place that eliminate or minimize the threats • Recognizes that each barrier may not remove or prevent contamination but together provide greater security for public health • Barriers include • Selecting best drinking water source (e.g. lake, river, aquifer) • Protecting water from contamination • Using appropriate and effective water treatment • Maintaining water quality as distributed