With the growing demand for a reliable water source, watersheds in upstate New York quickly became a popular solution. These systems stretch “downstate to NYC via a complex of aqueducts and tunnels to supply 5.3 billion liters of safe drinking water per day to millions of customers…” (Vintinner). New York City uses three watersheds (the Croton, Catskill, and Delaware) as main sources for an acceptable water supply. There are some environmental concerns, however, with these systems.
Delaware County has the highest “density of farms than other counties in the watershed, and farming is presumed to be the largest source of phosphorus, according to Keith Porter, the director of the New York State WaterResources Institute, at Cornell University” (Brown). This means that there is a risk of phosphorus getting into the watershed system and possibly tainting the water supply for New Yorkers. Phosphorus is a powerful fertilizer, and if it gets into the water supply, toxins from algae that begin to thrive in the water contaminate it. Phosphate (PO4) can also lead to problems because it lowers the pH of the water, making it acidic (Harmful Algae). Not only are humans affected, but
A process to filter out the phosphorus pollution is necessary not only to make sure the water supply is considered safe for consumption/use by millions of people in NYC, but also to make it safe for nature upstate (e.g. the animal diversity on the farm and the biodiversity in its surrounding environments).
References:
Brown, Jeff L. “Protecting The Source.” Civil Engineering (08857024) 70.12 (2000): 50. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Dec. 2012.
“Harmful Algae.” The Harmful Algae. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Center. 31 July 2012. Web. 3 Dec 2012. < http://www.whoi.edu/redtide/>.
John L. Campbell, et al. “A Cross-Site Comparison Of Factors Influencing Soil Nitrification Rates In Northeastern USA Forested Watersheds.” Ecosystems 12.1 (2009): 158-178. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Dec. 2012.
