Water justice

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Water justice refers to the access of individuals to clean water. More specifically, the access of individuals to clean water for survival (drinking, fishing, etc.) and recreational purposes as a human right. Water and sanitation for all provided in an equitable and sustainable way is central to global justice for poor women and men. Despite successive global declarations and efforts, hundreds of millions still suffer from lack of access. Simplistic portrayals of water and sanitation 'crises' have often led to misunderstandings on the nature of the problem and how to address it. The result has been a failure to centralize the needs and interests of the poor and marginalized within different solutions.

A simultaneous increase in demand and decreasing availability of water are leading to an intensification of competition and conflicts, worsening existing water-based inequalities. Globalization and climate change has favored some actors' access and control of water at the expense of others-- threatening their water and food security.

Water justice promotes the regulation of corporations from polluting water, and impeding them from restricting access, in any way, to bodies of water that may provide clean water for drinking, fishing, leisure, etc. Water justice is often reached through activism, social media, outreach; through the law; through the pressure imposed by interest groups and lobbyists on elected officials; and by educating the public on the multifaceted importance of water justice.

The issue of water justice is considered a relatively recent one in human history: before the 19th century Industrial Revolution, people lived more in harmony with their immediate environment. As industrialization has spread around the globe, so the problem of contamination and diminishing access to water has spread with it. As Earth's population continues to grow, people are putting ever-increasing pressure on the planet's water resources. In a sense, the world's oceans, rivers, and other inland waters are being harmed by human activities.

Over the past few decades, the increase in population and advances made in technology have increased the relevance of water justice. Water pollution has many different causes and this is one of the reasons why it is a difficult problem to solve. Surface waters and groundwater are the two types of water resources that pollution affects the most. If pollution comes from a single location, it is known as point source pollution. A great deal of water pollution happens not from one single source but from many different scattered sources. This is called non-point source pollution. Among the different sources of both point and non-point water contamination, nutrients, waste water, sewage, chemical waste, radioactive waste, oil pollution and plastics are the most common, for example.

Video Water justice

Legal acts

To prevent increased pollution, environmental damage, and to keep drinking water clean, various Legal acts have been signed into law.

• The Clean Water Act: The Clean Water Act was signed into law in 1948 under the name Federal Water Pollution Control Act, with expanded recognition and amendments in 1972. Amendments included:
  • Outlawing of any pollutant being released anywhere that would lead to large bodies of water.
  • Regulation of pollutants entering bodies of water.
  • Provided funding for sewage treatment plants.
  • Empowered the EPA with the authority to enforce water regulation rules.
• The Ocean Dumping Act: The Ocean Dumping Act was signed into law in 1972 to prevent excess pollution from entering the ocean. The EPA has the authority to fine no more than $50,000 for each breach of permit. The act also allows for general research and EPA research into ridding the ocean of pollutant dumping.
  • Shore Protection Act (SPA): The Shore Protection Act comes from title IV of the Ocean Dumping Act. It forbids vessels from carrying waste within coastal waters without a permit.
• Right To Water: Also known as the Human Right to Water and Sanitation, it was established by the United Nations on July 28, 2010. It was added to international law when the UN recognized water and general sanitation as a basic human right. It requires states and nations to provide clean, accessible drinking water to their people.
• Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): The Safe Drinking Water Act was put into law in 1974. It provides protection to water both above and below ground. In 1996, amendments were added requiring the EPA to assess risks and costs when creating standards for this law.

Maps Water justice

Important figures and groups

The Water Justice movement is largely grassroots, with small groups of citizens taking the issue into their own hands by means of protesting, petitioning, fundraising, or donating items such as water filters in order to broaden access to clean water. Some well-known people have used their exposure to further the cause of water justice: Erin Brockovich, media personality and environmental activist has spoken against Flint officials' mishandling of the water crisis there. Actress Shailene Woodley was arrested at a Dakota Access Pipeline protest, writing afterwards about her experience: "If you are a human who requires water to survive, then this issue directly involves you."

Another key player arguing to defend access to clean water in the Standing Rock protests is the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman, Dave Archambault II, who has spoken to the Human Rights Council at the U.N. in Geneva on behalf of his tribe. In a separate statement, Archambault thanked those who fought the pipeline "in the name of protecting our water."

Despite being for the most part grassroots, the Water Justice movement is global, and encompasses a wide array of diverse groups such as the Global Water Justice Movement, Friends of the Right to Water, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, Food and Water Watch, and the Heinrich Böll Foundation. Groups such as these believe that water is part of the global commons, and thus argue against the privatization of water resources and give the state the responsibility of ensuring the right to water.

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Contamination from human activity

Water contamination usually occurs through a series of two mechanisms: point and non-point sources of pollution. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), point source pollution is "any single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack." Therefore, among the most common examples of point source pollution, poor factory and sewage treatment appear high on the list; although not as frequent, but, nevertheless, equally--if not more--dangerous, oil spills are another famous example of point source of pollution. On the other hand, non-point sources of pollution are those that may come from different sources, among which, poor and badly monitored agricultural activities can negatively affect the quality of any nearby sources of water.

Point sources of pollution

• Industrial products and wastes: Many harmful chemicals are used widely in local business and industry. These can become drinking water pollutants if not well managed. The most common sources of such problems are:
  • Local businesses: Factories, industrial plants, and even small businesses such as gas stations and dry cleaners handle a variety of hazardous chemicals that need careful management. Spills and improper disposal of these chemicals or of industrial wastes can threaten ground water supplies.
  • Leaking underground tanks and piping: Petroleum products, chemicals, and wastes stored in underground storage tanks and pipes may end up in the ground water. Tanks and piping leak if they are constructed or installed improperly. Steel tanks and piping corrode with age. Tanks are often found on farms. The possibility of leaking tanks is great on old, abandoned farm sites. Farm tanks are exempt from the EPA rules for petroleum and chemical tanks.
  • Landfills and waste dumps: Modern landfills are designed to contain any leaking liquids, but floods can carry conaminants over the barriers. Older dumpsites may have a wide variety of pollutants that can seep into ground water.
• Household wastes: Improper disposal of many common products can pollute ground water. These include cleaning solvents, used motor oil, paints, and paint thinners. Even soaps and detergents can harm drinking water. These are often a problem from faulty septic tanks and septic leaching fields.
• Lead and copper: Elevated concentrations of lead are rarely found in source water. Lead is commonly found in household plumbing materials. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures, and solder. Lead can leach into water systems when these plumbing materials corrode. Your water's acidity or alkalinity (often measured as pH--the measure of acidity or alkalinity of a chemical solution, from 0-14. Anything neutral, for example, has a pH of 7. Acids have a pH less than 7, bases (alkaline) greater than 7.) greatly affects corrosion. Temperature and mineral content also affect how corrosive it is. Lead in drinking water can cause a variety of adverse health effects. Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause delays in physical and mental development in babies and children. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.
• Water treatment chemicals: Improper handling or storage of water-well treatment chemicals (such as disinfectants or corrosion inhibitors) close to your well can cause problems.

Non-point sources of pollution

Agricultural activities that cause non-point source pollution include:

• Poorly managed animal feeding operations
• Overgrazing
• Overworking the land (for example, plowing too often)
• Poorly managed and ineffective application of pesticides, irrigation water, and fertilizer.
• Bacteria and nitrates: These contaminants are found in human and animal wastes. Septic tanks or large numbers of farm animals can also cause bacterial and nitrate pollution. Both septic systems and animal manures must be carefully managed to prevent private well contamination.
• Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs): The number of CAFOs, often called "factory farms," is growing. On these farms thousands of animals are raised in a small space. The large amounts of animal wastes/manures from these farms can threaten water supplies. Strict and careful manure management is needed to prevent pathogen and nutrient problems in private wells. Salts from high levels of manures can also pollute ground water.
• Heavy metals: Activities such as mining and construction can release large amounts of heavy metals into nearby ground water sources. Some older fruit orchards may contain high levels of arsenic, once used as a pesticide. At high levels, these metals pose a health risk.
• Fertilizers and pesticides: Farmers use fertilizers and pesticides to promote growth and reduce insect damage. These products are also used on golf courses and suburban lawns and gardens. The chemicals in these products may end up in ground water. The extent of contamination depends on the types and amounts of chemicals used and how they are applied. Local environmental conditions (such as soil types, seasonal snow, and rainfall) also impact their contamination potential. Groundwater will normally look clear and clean because the ground naturally filters out particulate matter. But, natural and human-induced chemicals can be found in groundwater. As groundwater flows through the ground, metals such as iron and manganese are dissolved and may later be found in high concentrations in the water. Industrial discharges, urban activities, agriculture, groundwater pumpage, and disposal of waste all can affect groundwater quality. Contaminants can be human-induced, as from leaking fuel tanks or toxic chemical spills. Pesticides and fertilizers applied to lawns and crops can accumulate and migrate to the water table. Leakage from septic tanks and/or waste-disposal sites also can introduce bacteria to the water, and pesticides and fertilizers that seep into farmed soil can eventually end up in water drawn from a well. Or, a well might have been placed in land that was once used for something like a garbage or chemical dump site. Polluted runoff is created by rainfall or snow-melt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into watersheds via lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and even our underground sources of drinking water. In 2002, in the National Water Quality Inventory report to U.S. Congress, the states reported that agricultural non-point source (NPS) pollution is the leading cause of river and stream impairment and the second leading cause of impairment in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs.

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Activism

When it comes to America alone, there has been much activity surrounding the issues of water in Standing Rock, ND and Flint, Michigan. When the issue arose of a pipeline being implemented on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation of North Dakota, residents began to take action almost immediately. When the pipeline was proposed in January 2016, the Sioux tribe released a petition that garnered almost half a million signatures within 3 months. This postponed the construction of the pipeline, but the action did not stop there. In July of the same year, the tribe attempted to sue the Army Corps of Engineers with the argument that it would harm the area's water supply. This only led the Energy Transfer Partners to file a counter lawsuit, saying that the group was hindering their work. 2016 presidential candidate Jill Stein led movements against the construction, which included spray painting a bulldozer with the phrase, "I approve this message". Adding to the publication of the issue, actress Shailene Woodley was arrested for blocking the construction of the pipeline. The debate on whether or not the pipeline will actually be built is still in progress.

The water crisis in Flint, Michigan has also led activists to focus on getting clean water to the people. After the 2014 decision to make the Flint River the primary water source of the town, residents quickly noticed the quality of their water declining. The American Civil Liberties Union filed multiple lawsuits against the administration in Flint, saying that the levels of lead in the water is absurd, and demanded the pipes be replaced. This has yet to happen, and the people of Flint continue to struggle for clean water.

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Related organizations and programs

Several state and national organizations and programs are dedicated to the access of safe water. The scope of these organizations are varied by their outreach (from focusing on a small county to working globally) and the aspects of water justice they are contributing to. Many of these organizations work within governmental systems while others work outside of them. These organizations have helped aid in the understanding and knowledge of water related issues, how they affect individuals and communities, and have found solutions to improve safe water access.

Categories of water justice organizations and programs

Education

The United States of America has some of the safest drinking water supplies in the world. Despite this, there are several cases and outbreaks of illnesses and related health issues due to contaminated water reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention every year. Several organizations work to educate communities about proper water safety procedures and places emphasis on individuals and communities to understand where their water supply comes from.

Industry

Many water justice organizations work within industries related to community water to create safer water infrastructure. Many provide certification to certain professions to ensure work and product quality related to water. Additionally, many organizations have created groups for professions that deal with water infrastructure and safety. Some of these profession include public health professionals, engineers, and scientific researchers.

Research

Several of these organizations also promote environmental and public health related research and aid in funding and education of these projects.

Governmental

Many organizations related to water justice work with or within the government to enact change in water policy and management. This can include city and state governments, to the federal government, to Tribal governments.

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References

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Sources

• Copeland, Claudia. Ocean Dumping Act: A Summary of the Law. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, 1999. National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration. Congressional Research Service, 15 Dec. 2015. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.
• "Drinking Water National and State Organizations and Programs." Drinking Water National and State Organizations and Programs. National Environmental Services Center, 2013. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.
• "Drinking Water Safety." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 May 2014. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.
• "History of the Clean Water Act." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 25 May 2016. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.
• "Hrw, Decade, Water for Life, 2015, UN-Water, United Nations, MDG, Water, Sanitation, Financing, Gender, IWRM, Human Right, Transboundary, Cities, Quality, Food Security, General Comment, BKM, Albuquerque." United Nations. United Nations, July 2010. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.
• "Human Health and Contaminated Water." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 7 June 2016. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.
• Perlman, Howard. "Contaminants Found in Groundwater." Contaminants Found in Groundwater, USGS Water Science School. The USGS Water Science School, 02 Dec. 2016. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.
• "Summary of the Shore Protection Act." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 30 Dec. 2016. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.
• "Summary of the Safe Drinking Water Act." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 07 Feb. 2017. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.
• "Tribal Climate Change Guide." National Tribal Environmental Council. University of Oregon, 20 Oct. 2015. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.
• US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Nonpoint Source Pollution." NOAA's National Ocean Service Education. U.S. Department of Commerce, 19 Dec. 2004. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.
• "Water Contamination." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Oct. 2016. Retrieved. 02 Mar. 2017.

Source of the article : Wikipedia