Nitrates in the Conodoguinet Creek
Conodoguinet Creek
Conodoguinet comes from an Indian word meaning "A long way with many bends". The creek was rightly named this for its twisting and bending path. The Conodoguinet Creek is approximately 90 miles long and flows east into the Susquehanna River. The creek drains an area of 470 sq miles that is occupied by both agricultural and developed land.
There are 33 permitted point source discharges into the Conodoguinet Creek. Water tested from wells in Cumberland county and in the Carlisle area near the Condoguinet Creek have nitrate concentrations that are among the highest in the nation, frequently exceeding 10 mg/L.
Nitrates
What are nitrates?:
Nitrates are Nitrogen-Oxygen chemical units. The primary sources of organic nitrates come from human sewage and livestock manure. The primary inorganic sources of nitrates are potassium nitrate and ammonium nitrate both of which are widely used as fertilizers. Nitrates migrate to ground water which is often used as utility or drinking water. They do not evaporate naturally in water. The only way nitrates can be removed from water is if they are consumed by living organisms or treated at a water treatment center.
Health Effects of Nitrates
Short-term and Long-term exposure can cause serious health effects to humans and the environment. Standards and regulations have been set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Human Health Effects
Short-term
Long-term
Environmental Health Effects
Utility System
Point Source Pollution
Non-Point Source Pollution
Current Regulations on Nitrates in Conodoguinet Creek
Point source
Clean Water Act- The foundation of this act was originally created in 1948 under the Federal Water Pollution Act,however in 1972 it was revised and expanded. Then in 1977 with the amendments that were made this law earned the name the clean water act. The clean water has made it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into any navigable water sources unless a permit is attained. Under this law, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has regulated point source emissions by implementing pollution control programs. The EPA's national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES), is the permit program that regulates discharges from point sources.
link to clean water act- <http://epw.senate.gov/water.pdf>
Non-point Source
fertilizer regulations on farmers
Solutions
Stricter regulations
-less fertilizer per acre -require buffers
Education (focusing on farmers as non-point sources)
New technology
