Word Choice Is Safe Drinking Water Act To Complete This Assi
Word Choice Is Safe Drinking Water Actto Complete This Assignmentse
Word choice is : Safe Drinking Water Act To complete this assignment, Select a term from the list of choices in the Week 3 - Term Selection Table located in the course. Type your name in the table, next to the word that you would like to choose. Do not select a term that a classmate has already chosen; only one student per term. If you choose a term that is hyperlinked to a source, that term is one that is not mentioned in our textbook. Instead of being required to use the text as your third source for completing the assignment, you will be expected to use the hyperlinked source provided for you.
Download the Week 3 Assignment Template available in the course and replace the guiding text with your own words based upon your online research. Please do not include a cover page. All references, however, should be cited in your work and listed at the end, following APA format expectations. In the template, you will Define the term thoroughly, in your own words. Explain the importance of the term using evidence.
Discuss how the term affects living things and the physical world. Suggest two specific actions that can be taken to promote environmental sustainability in relation to the term. Explain exactly how those actions will aid in safeguarding our environment in relation to your chosen term. Provide detailed examples to support your ideas. The Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Our Water Resources paper Must be a minimum of three paragraphs in length (not including title, any quoted text, or references) and formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.) Must utilize academic voice.
See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance. Must use at least two credible and/or scholarly sources in addition to the course text. To receive optimal credit, use at least one scholarly source from a peer-reviewed academic journal. To aid you in your research, and particularly in locating scholarly sources via the Ashford University Library or using Google Scholar, please review the following Ashford videos and tutorials: Scholarly and Popular Resources (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) Database Search Tips (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) Research, Keywords, Databases: An Overview (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) Accessing Full text and citation in Google Scholar: SCI207 - Google Scholar (Links to an external site.) Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.) Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
See the APA: Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications. Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
Paper For Above instruction
The Safe Drinking Water Act: Protecting Public Health and the Environment
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), enacted in 1974, is a critical piece of environmental legislation in the United States that aims to ensure the safety and quality of public drinking water supplies. The SDWA authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish and enforce standards to regulate contaminants in drinking water that may pose health risks. This comprehensive law covers a broad spectrum of contaminants, including biological pathogens, chemical pollutants, and heavy metals, with the overarching goal of safeguarding public health. The Act has been instrumental in reducing waterborne diseases and protecting vulnerable populations from exposure to harmful substances. It requires public water systems to regularly test, treat, and monitor water sources, thereby maintaining high safety standards that have significantly improved water quality nationwide. Overall, the SDWA exemplifies the importance of legislative action in preserving the purity of essential natural resources, directly impacting human health and environmental well-being.
The significance of the Safe Drinking Water Act extends beyond public health impacts; it also influences ecological systems and the physical environment. Contaminants in drinking water can originate from industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, or aging infrastructure, and their presence can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems. For instance, chemical pollutants such as nitrates and pesticides can lead to eutrophication in water bodies, causing algal blooms that deplete oxygen and harm aquatic life. Additionally, chemical contaminants can bioaccumulate in wildlife, disrupting reproductive and developmental processes. The law encourages the reduction of pollutants entering water sources, thereby protecting aquatic habitats and maintaining ecological integrity. Furthermore, the infrastructure improvements mandated by the SDWA, such as modern treatment facilities, prevent environmental degradation caused by untreated or poorly treated wastewater discharges, reinforcing sustainable water management practices necessary for the health of both natural systems and human communities.
Promoting environmental sustainability related to the Safe Drinking Water Act can be achieved through targeted actions. First, investing in innovative water treatment technologies, such as membrane filtration and ultraviolet disinfection, can enhance the removal of emerging contaminants and reduce the reliance on chemical disinfectants, which may produce harmful byproducts. Second, implementing community-based watershed management programs can help reduce pollution at the source by promoting sustainable agricultural practices and responsible waste disposal. These actions can effectively safeguard water sources by minimizing contaminant loads before they reach treatment facilities, reducing energy consumption associated with extensive treatment processes, and preserving natural filtration systems such as wetlands and riparian buffers. For example, adopting organic farming methods reduces pesticide runoff, leading to cleaner groundwater and surface water, aligning with SDWA’s goals of protecting drinking water sources. Such initiatives foster a culture of environmental stewardship and ensure the availability of safe water resources for future generations, highlighting the integral link between policy, technological innovation, and sustainable practices.»
References
- Environmental Protection Agency. (2020). Overview of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). https://www.epa.gov/dwstandardsregulations/overview-safe-drinking-water-act
- Lee, S., & Kim, J. (2019). Advances in drinking water treatment technology for emerging contaminants. Water Research Professional Journal, 148, 319-330.
- National Research Council. (2019). Urban water infrastructure: Challenges and opportunities. The National Academies Press.
- Ong, S. K., & Choo, K. H. (2018). Sustainable water management: Policies and practices. Environmental Science & Policy, 81, 126-133.
- World Health Organization. (2017). Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. WHO Press.