Contamination of Drinking Water from Polluted Sources in Miami

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Contamination of Drinking Water from Polluted Sources in Miami

Introduction

This paper posits to investigate whether or not the drinking water in Miami community is contaminated from polluted sources. It will explore how Miami residents would go about verifying their concern in regard to this issue, their sources of information, and the steps they would take to remedy this environmental health problem. Clean water is vital for numerous reasons, and it is critical that clean water is made easily accessible in order to safeguard human health. In the Miami Valley, drinking water is sourced from a huge underground valley aquifer structure that supplies local communities with high quality water that is often treated further to guarantee its safety (MVRPC, 2011).

How Would You Go About Verifying Your Concern?

Good planning is required in order to protect Miami’s drinking water resources, and since 1974, the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) has endeavored in doing this through the development of the Areawide Water Quality Management Plan. Determining what comprises high quality streams and rivers is intricate. The aquatic environment comprises of numerous interacting factors, like water flow, liquefied chemicals, microscopic to big organisms, as well as habitat such as sand, clay, rocks, leaves, gravel, and related natural debris. Highly qualified chemists, microbiologists, and water treatment specialists perform and supervise over 100,000 studies of water samples every year. They regularly collect and test water quality samples throughout Miami County whereby samples include treated and untreated water, obtained from the water supply system facilities, sample sites in the service areas, as well as at customers’ habitats. These tests are administered by a range of regulatory agencies on a State, federal, as well as the local level (MVRPC, 2011).

Who would you contact, and what would your sources of information be?

In the event of any queries regarding the quality of drinking water in Miami, the most appropriate avenues would be the official water management agencies that include the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, The Bureau of Water Programs, the Water Management Districts, the Environmental Protection Agency, or the City of Miami Building Department. The Environmental Resources Management collaborates with businesses as well as property owners to avoid harm to the shared water as well as other environmental resources (MVRPC, 2011).

What Steps Would You Take To Remedy This Environmental Health Problem?

In the event that pollution or damage takes place, the Environmental Resources Management would collaborate with the responsible entities so that the Miami public does not have fund for the cleanup. However, penalties would be levied against the parties involved in the pollution, and once these penalties are collected, they are utilized in correcting the environmental health damage that may have occurred. It is appropriate to make an inspection request with the relevant agencies that deal with environmental concerns relating to water contamination. It would also be appropriate to initiate community programs whereby, the community in Miami is directly involved in safeguarding the environment through increased awareness. Increase in complex and prevalent environmental health issues demand a motivated, knowledgeable as well as active citizenry in order to assist in enhancing the environmental health sector in Miami. This paper would recommend the designing, and execution of a short-term orientation as well as long-term training programs. These programs would communicate significant environmental health concerns to definite target groups (Marella, 2010).

References

Marella, R. (2010). Water Withdrawals, Utilization & Trends in Miami. Geological Analysis Scientific Explorations-Report 2009, 51, pp36.

MVRPC. (2011). Water Quality Management. Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission. Retrieved from http://www.mvrpc.org/environment/water