Te Taiao o Tamaki - 10 interesting facts about water pollution

40% of America's rivers and 46% of America's lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life. 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste are discharged into US Waters annually. 

1. Nearly 40% of all water bodies in America and 46% of all lakes in the country are polluted or are unfit for any swimming and aquatic activities. A large quantity of fishes and under water ecosystems are gradually dying out because of pollution caused by industries and man.

2. Nearly 1.3 trillion gallons of sewage, untreated chemical wastes and industrial effluents are discharged into the water bodies annually. This is set to double given the current standards and may jeopardize life amid polluted waters in America alone! 

3. More than a half of the world's population faces a water shortage and polluted drinking water afflicts about 250 million people worldwide resulting to about 10 million deaths every year. 


4. In 2010, a huge oil spill in America, caused by ruptured wells in British Petroleum rigs led to a disaster in the Louisiana coast for about 400 miles. Over 1000 animals and birds, turtles and mammals died because of the water pollution and some humans too perished because of the spill. Only about 6% of the damaged area was reportedly cleaned. In November 2012, the company agreed to a $4.5 billion settlement with the US federal goverment and paid a fine of $1.2 billion. 

5. In developing countries, 70% of all industrial wastes flow into water and plant ecosytems and pollute the soil and the drinking water supplies.

6. There is a problem of drinking water in 27% of the world's cities. A quater of the world's population, according to the World Water Assesment Programme, faces a drinking shortage with no piped water system in their homes.

7. Hundreds and millions of people across the world die due to cholera and malaria, along with other water borne diseases. 

8. The nuclear crisis in Japan occured in 2011, when a Tsunami damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear plant and caused 4 of the 6 reactors to crash. About 2 million gallons of radioactive water poured into the Pacific Ocean. 

9. About 15 million children under the age of 5 perish each year because of the water borne diseases and polluted drinking water. The Ganges River, the source of life in the Indian subcontinent, the crucible of one third of humanity, is the most polluted river that contains trash, untreated sewage and animal remains.

10. Nearly 320 million people in China have no access to clean drinking water and about 20% of the country's groundwater is contaminated with cancer producing chemicals, because of high levels of water pollution.