Water Quality
Water quality is essential to the economy and quality of life in Chatham County. Water from the Savannah River supplies many of our industries and increasing numbers of residential areas. The estuaries function as nurseries for many commercially important species, and the health of the estuaries can have profound effects on the local fishing industry. Most residents of Chatham County enjoy some form of recreation that involves local water resources such as fishing, canoeing, birding or swimming, all of which require a healthy and protected waterway.
Water pollution is often blamed on industry, manufacturers and water treatment plants. Pollution from these sources is called point source pollution because it comes from one particular point, such as a pipe emptying into a river. Point source pollution has been greatly reduced and regulated over the past 25 years due to the Clean Water Act. Any discharge into state waters now requires a permit and is monitored for pollutants on a regular basis.
According to the EPA, the leading cause of water pollution now in the United States is non-point source pollution (NPS). NPS pollution comes form everywhere and all of us. Rainwater runs over the land and carries contaminants into our streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries. NPS pollution can include runoff from roads, sediment form construction sites, fertilizers and pesticides form lawns and agriculture, and oil, litter and other waste that is dumped into storm drains. Since NPS pollution comes from so many different sources and locations, it is difficult to control. It is up to all of us to prevent NPS pollution. Click here to learn how you can prevent non-point source pollution. .
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