Government’s Role in Water Quality Issues and Concerns for Agriculture in Illinois

Don Pitts

Agricultural Engineer

Water Quality Specialist

Champaign, IL

NRCS USDA

Historical Perspective on Water Quality and the Role of Government

• In the 19th century clean and safe drinking water was not a given

• Many communities were established along rivers and streams - for a source of drinking water, power, transportation, etc

• Cities also dumped sewage and waste into these rivers and streams

• People died of cholera and thyphoid

Federal Water Quality Policy

Nation Law Clean Water ActSafe Drinking Water Act

USDA Policy Regulation 9500-7Regulation 9500-8

NRCS Policy GM 450 & 460, Parts 401

Federal Law and Water Quality

• 1899 - Rivers and Harbors Act– limited the dumping of waste

• 1915 - Drinking Water Standards– drinking water standards adopted (limited to

coliform bacteria)

• 1925 - Revised Drinking Water Standards– strength to standard on coliform bacteria

Federal Law and Water Quality (cont)

• 1948 - Federal Pollution Control Act– provide joint federal and state control (provided

funding for local sewage treatment plants)

• 1965 - Water Quality Act– created water quality standards (limited to

interstate waters)

• 1972 - Clean Water Act

• 1974 - Safe Drinking Water Act

Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Amended in 1972 and is known as the

Clean Water Act)

• Objective was to restore and maintain the integrity of the Nation’s waters

• Authorizes States to establish water quality standards

• Established the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

Federal Water Pollution Control (Clean Water Act - 1972)

• “…restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters…”

• “...protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and provide for recreation in and on the water”– known as fishable/swimmable

Federal Safe Drinking Water Act 1974

• Set enforceable maximum contaminate levels (MCLs)

• Required monitoring and reporting of drinking water

• MCL for nitrate is 10 mg/l

Primary Agricultural Water Quality Contaminants

• Nutrients– N (nitrate)

– P

• Sediments

• Pesticides and Heavy Metals

• Pathogens

• Salts

Nutrients of Concern in Illinois

• Nitrogen Associated Problems– Drinking water standard

– Cultural eutrophication (estuaries)

• Phosphorus Associated Problems– Cultural eutrophication (lakes and

reservoirs)

Nitrate-Nitrogen Concerns

• Local – drinking water supplies cannot exceed (10 mg/l)

• Regional – stream and reservoirs with elevated nitrate

levels are contributing to eutrophication problems

• National – Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia

Human Health Problems Associated with Elevated Nitrate

Levels in Drinking Water

•Blue Baby Syndrome•Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

Locations of elevated nitrate levels in surface water and the distribution of tile-drained soils in Illinois

Hydrologic Cycle (with tiles)

N - Conclusions

• Nutrient management:– an important practice to mitigate elevate

nitrate levels in ground and surface waters.

• Drainage management:– can be an effective tool to lower nitrate

levels in surface waters.

Phosphorus (P)

• Is an essential element for plant growth

• Fertilizer P inputs have been long recognized as necessary for profitable crop production

• Phosphorus in surface water can also increase biological productivity and cause eutrophication.

Eutrophication:

• Is the loading of dissolved and particulate matter to a water body at rates sufficient to produce high biological production

• Has been identified as the main cause of impaired surface water in the U.S.

P Levels & Trophic State(source: EPA, 1990)

• Oligotrophic (nutrient-poor) – P< 0.010 mg/l

• Mesotrophic (biologically productive)– P = 0.010 - 0.025 mg/l

• Eutrophic (nutrient rich) – P = 0.025 - 0.060 mg/l

• Hypereutrophic (pea-soup)– P > 0.060 mg/l

Assuming P is limiting

Phosphorus (TP)

Concentrationsin Surface Water in Illinois

(Source: IEPA)

P - Conclusions

• Increased soil-P levels lead to increased P loading to surface water

• Management of soil-P levels to avoid unnecessary buildup of soil P levels should be an essential part of a program to reduce P loadings to surface water

• Bray-1 soil test P of 75 lbs/ac is high!