Pennsylvania’s Abundant Water Resources
Pennsylvania is a state that is genuinely rich in water resources. There are six watersheds on its territory, constituted by almost 86,000 miles of river streams connecting numerous lakes, marshes, and bays, which rightfully places Pennsylvania among the most water-rich states in the U.S. (Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection [DEP], 2022).
Current Environmental Concerns
Unfortunately, the current state of its water resources raises many environmental concerns. According to a recent report by Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) (2022), one-third of all stream miles and almost two-thirds of public lakes are considered “impaired,” regardless of intended use. By labeling a body as water impaired, DEP implies it failed to meet at least one water quality standard and, thus, requires attention from the federal Clean Water Act (DEP, 2022).
Major Sources of Water Pollution
The general assessment of streams and lakes can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, respectively. The state’s top three causes of water contamination continue to be agriculture, rainwater runoff from developed regions, and acid mine wastewater from closed coal mines (DEP, 2022). The latter has replaced agriculture in terms of total pollution, compared to previous years.
Assessment Categories and Regulatory Response
Four primary use types are considered while evaluating the state of rivers, streams, and lakes. PED explicitly states them as “aquatic life, recreation, fish consumption, and public drinking water supply” (PED, 2022). If the water source is labeled impaired in any of these categories, PED is obliged to develop a specific strategy to normalize its Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of pollutants. For instance, PED addresses the Chesapeake Bay impairment by working with every county in the region to target sediment and nutrient pollution (PED, 2022).
This is not the only positive news, as the Integrated Water Quality Report also informs about the successful restoration of approximately 900 stream miles and 30,000 public lake acres since 2004 (PED, 2022). Additionally, over a hundred stream miles remained unaffected by any pollution type during 2020 (PED, 2022). It showcases that a change is possible, and the fact that the report allows for expressing public opinion increases the probability of success.
Reference
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection. (2022). 2022 Pennsylvania integrated water quality report. Web.