Government’s Role in Water Quality Issues and Concerns for Agriculture in Illinois
Don PittsAgricultural Engineer
Water Quality SpecialistChampaign, ILNRCS 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!