freshwater pollution – Aquarius-Systems

300 lbs of Road Salt per Lane per Mile

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 15:55:15 +0000

300 pounds of road salt is applied per lane per mile. It sounds like a lot! That is the industry standard! Certainly less is applied if conditions require it, but it takes many factors to determine the correct treatment to keep roadways safe in the winter months.

According to to Wisconsin Saltwise, an organization designed to educate Dane County residents and maintenance professionals about road salt safety, it takes one teaspoon of salt to permanently pollute five gallons of water to a level that is toxic for freshwater ecosystems.

An average of 500 tons of salt a year is put into Lake Mendota during an average winter. Not intentionally of course, but the salt can wash into the lakes when met with rain.

Not only does salt degrade lake ecosystems, but it also diminishes the quality of drinking water.

Read about Madison’s action taken to limit is salt usage.

Road Salt Runoff Is Increasing Lake Salinity and Threatening Water Quality

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 10:01:16 +0000

When the road get snow covered and icy, road crews work extra hard to keep travelers safe. However, the extensive use of salt may be damaging lakes and streams.

Researchers examined 371 lakes and found that 44% are at risk of salinization, meaning there is a build of salt in the water table. This excess of salt negatively affects water quality, wildlife and soil.

Salt use has increased dramatically in the past 50 years and the EPA estimates that 22 million tons of salt is applied to roads annually. That salt is washed into lakes, rivers and streams.

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Could Privatizing Waterways Help Solve Plastic Pollution

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 21:18:50 +0000

A monumental eco-challenge facing the planet is plastic marine debris. The modern economy has produced more than eight billion metric tons of newly manufactured plastic, but 75% of it becomes plastic waste. It is estimated that approximately five trillion pieces of plastic, or roughly 250,000 metric tons, have littered the waters.

So, what can be an effective measure to combat or eliminate plastics from ending up in coastlines, rivers, lakes, and oceans? It may be daring for most, but ocean privatization is the way to go.

Water capitalism implies that there would be private ownership of oceans, rivers, lakes, and aquifers.

When something is unowned, there is very little incentive to maintain, preserve, or defend it. On the other hand, when something is privately owned, we do our very best to maintain, preserve, or defend it. This is why private property is typically better than public housing, or why private transportation is generally more bearable than government transit.

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