Got Water? Water Contamination as a Sustainability Issue in New York

^{Figure 1: 123 West Merrick Rd, Valley Stream, NY}

Morgane Kapto

City College of New York

ENGL 21003: Writing for the Sciences

Professor Debra Williams

March 17, 2025

Life cannot exist without water. It covers approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface and is a daily necessity. Despite the abundance of water on the planet, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) clarifies that less than 1% is suitable for human use (Gale, 2023). With this knowledge, it is clear that we must protect this valuable resource and combat water pollution, an issue that is rampant around the world, especially in New York, where there are  many significant bodies of water. In figure 1, we see an example of water pollution in New York, with the picture depicting a river full of various litter including plastic bags, plastic water bottles, metal cans, and other pollutants. Although the U.S. government agency has passed legislation to tackle this issue, such as the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), environmentalists and water-quality experts assert that the EPA is not doing enough and is ineffective at regulating polluters. Despite the efforts of the EPA in passing targeted legislation like the CWA and SDWA, New York Governor Kathy Hochul should allocate more funds to replacing lead pipes, improving water infrastructure, and updating water treatment facilities to address the sustainability issue of water pollution due to its negative effects on the balance of ecosystems and the health of individuals.

In order to understand the severity of water pollution, we must first understand what causes it. Water pollution is defined as the contamination of water by chemicals, pathogens, litter, and other waste materials (Gale, 2023). It can come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, sewage, oil pollution, and radioactive substances. As explained by Denchak (2023) at the environmental advocacy organization Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), agriculture is considered the biggest source of water contamination, as the fertilizers and pesticides used in farming often end up in our waterways. This runoff of chemicals provides nutrients that feed algal blooms, the excessive growth of algae which is toxic to people and aquatic life. Another source of water pollution is sewage and wastewater. Wastewater, water used by people as in shower water and toilet water, is sent to facilities where it is treated and released back into the environment. Unfortunately, the United Nations states that more than 80% of all wastewater is released back into the water untreated (Knowledge Bylanes, 2023). Oil pollution is also considered as a contributor to water contamination. Although industries and companies can be responsible for large oil spills in the ocean, the majority of oil pollution comes from consumers through the oil and gasoline that drips from motor vehicles. Finally, the accidental release or improper disposal of radioactive substances plays a part in water pollution, as radioactive substances can persist in the environment for thousands of years (Denchak, 2023). According to Knowledge Bylanes, these toxic chemical substances are produced by power plants and uranium mining, and improper disposal can harm groundwater, surface water, and marine resources. 

With water pollution arising from a multitude of sources, it is no surprise that its accumulation can cause a multitude of problems for both the environment and people. As mentioned earlier, water contamination can result in harmful algal blooms, which reduce oxygen levels in the water and cause eutrophication, the suffocation of aquatic plants and animals (Denchak, 2023). As stated in by Atlas Scientific (2023), an environmental robotics company, algal blooms and eutrophication undermine the marine ecosystem from the bottom of the chain. For instance, krill may struggle to find healthy vegetation, causing many krill to die, and then there are less krill to feed bigger fishes like salmon, throwing off the predator-prey balance. The few prey that do survive are contaminated from the chemicals that created the algal bloom, and so when larger predators eat that prey, they ingest toxins like mercury, and at the top of the chain, humans absorb these poisons. Water contamination is lethal, causing 1.8 million deaths in 2015 and poisoning 1 billion people each year (Denchak, 2023). Contaminated water carries pathogens and bacteria, causing illnesses such as diarrhea, with 829,000 people dying from contaminated water-induced diarrhea each year (Lin, Yang, & Xu, 2022). Contaminated water can even result in more severe diseases like cholera, giardia, and typhoid when ingested. Not only is water pollution harmful to ingest, it is also harmful to touch or swim in, with 3.5 million Americans developing health issues like skin rashes, pinkeye, respiratory infections, and hepatitis each year (Denchak, 2023). 

Despite this evidence, some experts claim that the government has already passed effective legislation to combat this issue. The EPA was established in the 1970s by President Richard Nixon to address growing environmental concerns, and it was given the power to conduct research, establish environmental baselines, set and enforce standards for air quality, and fund state pollution control programs (EPA, 2024a). Since its debut, the EPA has passed two major legislation regarding water pollution: the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972 and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974. The CWA made it illegal to dump any pollutant into waterways without a permit (EPA, 2024b) and the SDWA has established protective drinking water standards for more than 90 contaminants (EPA, 2025). Since their enactment, amendments have been added to both acts to include stricter regulations to ensure their effectiveness. As noted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2022, the CWA and the SDWA have improved water quality in the U.S., where lakes and rivers used to be filled with so much sewage that it would sometimes catch on fire. In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul has expanded the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, with the 2023 Fiscal Year including the aims of providing safe water to drink, investing in critical water infrastructure, restoring critical environmental habitats, and reducing flood risks (Governor Kathy Hochul, 2022). According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the Bond Act allocated approximately $650 million to upgrade lead pipes to less toxic materials, wastewater infrastructure, drinking water infrastructure, failing septic systems, sewer lines, water lines, and sewers.

While others claim that these actions have been enough to address the issue, water pollution still remains a significant concern that affects the lives of tens of millions in the United States alone. Although Governor Hochul allocates $650 million in funds to address these water quality issues, this is only 15% of the total funds that the Bond Act is using, clearly emphasizing how her priorities are elsewhere (Department of Environmental Conservation, n.d.). She is directing most of the funds towards climate change mitigation, while this is important and necessary, addressing water pollution issues promptly can help with that and thus should be taken more seriously. Additionally, despite the fact that the CWA requires that the EPA and U.S. states list polluted bodies of water and their plans to clean them, the EPA’s report in 2017 stated that only half of U.S. waters have been assessed, insinuating that the quality of the other half remains unassessed and of unknown status (U.S. GAO, 2022). As shown in figure 4, there are quite a few unassessed waters in the nation, especially in New York. While the issue of water pollution was resolved in some places, there still exist other areas where residents do not have access to uncontaminated water. In 2017, more than seven thousand current and former residents of Flint, Michigan sued the EPA for negligence in addressing illegal water management practices that resulted in twelve deaths in the city in 2014 (Gale, 2023). According to Denchak at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), water contamination still plagues the nation with thousands of Americans contracting Legionnaires’ Disease, a severe form of pneumonia, from drinking water every year. Not only is this a problem throughout the United States, but it is also a glaring issue in New York. In this state alone, 1 in 5 people may be drinking lead-contaminated water, as shown by a study done in 2023, despite the goals of Governor Hochul’s plan (NRDC, 2023). As shown in figure 6, almost 2 billion people are potentially exposed to lead-contaminated water, and are at risk for lead poisoning, which can be lethal. As researched by the New York City Coalition to End Lead Poisoning, an NYC resident’s chance of being exposed to lead-contaminated water varies by borough and neighborhood, with Brooklyn having the highest percentage of possible lead at 46% and Staten Island having the lowest percentage of 39%, which is still significant (NRDC, 2023). Not only does this become a problem of sustainability, but also a problem concerning equity, as residents of NYC can have a greater risk of lead poisoning based on where they live. It should also be noted that areas of lower socioeconomic status are seen with more lead water pipes (U.S. GAO, 2022). It is becoming increasingly clear that water pollution is an urgent issue because everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, deserves access to unpolluted water.

Water is not only vital to us as individuals, but also for animals and the planet. The intricate and delicate ecosystems which we are a part of heavily rely on the quality of water, as a habitat as well as a source of hydration. Water is used in multiple aspects of our everyday lives; we drink it, use it to cook, to clean ourselves and other things, and swim in it for exercise and enjoyment. It is a limited resource that must be conserved and recycled to ensure that it is still available and usable for generations to come. Governor Hochul and other legislators understand the severity of water pollution, and have been successful in advancing sustainability in New York State. However, Governor Hochul can add on to the already comprehensive Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act by increasing water quality’s priority and using federal grants efficiently, targeting lower income communities . By allocating more funds to replace lead pipes, improve water infrastructure, and updating water treatment facilities, Governor Hochul will be able to fulfill her duties of ensuring the safety and prosperity of New Yorkers.

References

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A woman using bottled water to wash her three-week-old son at their home in Flint, Michigan [Online image]. (2016). The Detroit News. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2016/01/28/living-flint/79497264/

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Denchak, M. (2023, January 11). Water pollution: Everything you need to know. NRDC. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know 

Department of Environmental Conservation. (n.d.). Clean water, clean air, and green jobs environmental bond act. New York State. https://dec.ny.gov/about/clean-water-clean-air-and-green-jobs-environmental-bond-act#:~:text=On%20November%208%2C%202022%2C%20New%20Yorkers%20overwhelmingly,change%2C%20improve%20resiliency%2C%20and%20create%20green%20jobs. 

Environmental Protection Agency. (2024a, May 31). The origins of EPA. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/history/origins-epa 

Environmental Protection Agency. (2024b, June 12). Summary of the Clean Water Act. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act 

Environmental Protection Agency. (2025, February 24). Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). EPA. https://www.epa.gov/sdwa 

Governor Hochul announces FY 2023 investments in clean energy infrastructure, climate resiliency and preservation. Governor Kathy Hochul. (2022, April 9). https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-fy-2023-investments-clean-energy-infrastructure-climate-resiliency 

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