Why Water Quality Education Is Important

Do you know why water quality education is important? Today, fresh and clean water is a limited source and occurrences like drought further limit the access. In some parts of the world, access to water is limited due to contamination.

Most of the planet is covered in water. But since it is salt water, it can only be consumed by humans and other species after undergoing an expensive process called desalination, The Water Page reveals.

Water Quality Education

One reason why people have limited access to clean water is contamination. That's why a groundwater education specialist is advocating the importance of water quality education to have a clean water future, WBAY notes.

According to groundwater education specialist Kevin Masarik, people who get their water from wells need to know about possible contaminants such as nitrates. He also adds that 9 percent of the 1 million private wells in Wisconsin have unacceptable nitrate levels, which can pose a risk to health of babies and pregnant women.

Water Quality Education and the Government

Masarik also highlighted the role of the government in keeping an eye on municipal water sources. However, he admitted that it's quite challenging for the authorities to deal with the private wells in the rural areas.

"The role of government for private wells is a little bit harder to see because we're dealing with rural areas, they're much more diffuse, and creating regulations are much more difficult," Masarik said.

Midwest Environmental Advocates executive director Kimberlee Wright, however, said that the government needs to boost its efforts to ensure the water is protected. She also added that water quality education is critically significant to have a clean water future.

"I think we all see a shift just in consumer attitude, but we have such serious water problems that we have to see a change," Wright said. "Educating voters is really critically important for our clean water future. It really is up to all of us to protect our clean water future... having that information so we can hold elected officials accountable, so that we can make choices in our own lives, I just think it's critically important."

Addressing Water Quality Concerns

Meanwhile, Paris Junior College-Sulphur Springs Center Department of Continuing Education in Texas is reportedly offering a new course to its area residents. The new course aims to address water quality issues by providing opportunities to help protect water quality in the state, KSST Radio learns.

Iowa state lawmakers, on the other hand, decided not to use state education funding to address water quality concerns. Instead, they're planning to look for other funding resources to help pay some of the costly and long-term water quality programs needed, WNAX reports.