FACT SHEET: WATER

by Gwynne Movius

I Define the specific problem

Quantity: A 6-month drought has led to most significant water restrictions ever in the Catawba River Basin. Ongoing issues of water management such as allowing inter-basin transfers has led to a law suit filed by South Carolina with the Supreme Court.

Quality: Between 1995 and 2005 the water quality of Mountain Island Lake has been downgraded from excellent to good/excellent and almost all lakes and watersheds have been downgraded. List of sites with known soil or groundwater contamination is growing. Top 5 factors affecting water quality in this region are: fecal coliform bacteria; sediment; stream channel instability due to increased peak flow (bank erosion, habitat loss); nutrients (total phosphorus); and loss of open space/riparian buffers. Without stronger efforts to stop the degradation, water quality should continue to decline.

II How is this problem a social justice issue?

Access to clean water is considered a basic human right by the United Nations: it should never be treated as a commodity although there is an effort to do so by corporations in lesser-developed countries. I personally consider clean water and air to be equal opportunity social issues: government should protect the rights of all citizens to clean air and water. At the same time, as clean water becomes scarcer in this region, it is probable that the well-to-do will continue to have access to clean water while the less well-to-do will be struggling to meet basic human needs.

III How can our members be engaged to address this problem?

Quantity: Current drought is an opportunity for increased advocacy (policy-level changes). Opportunities as identified by Donna Lisenby include advocating for legal changes to link building approvals to available resources (comprehensive water use and permitting act); establishing drought restriction enforcement mechanisms for the state; creating a tiered rate structure for water rates; changing technology of waste water treatment to include grey water for irrigation; and preventing the construction of Cliffside plant. Individual/families can restrict water use in various ways that have been publicized in the last 6 months, i.e. rain barrels, reduced flushing and watering, efficient use of dishwasher and laundry, etc.

Quality: On individual/family level, put pet waste in trash (who knew it “contaminates”?); use green fertilizers and pesticides; use green cleaning supplies. To protect the watersheds of all the creeks that feed the Catawba, Meck Cty has programs in place that the congregation could participate in such as Adopt-a-stream, storm drain marking, water watcher, and Big Sweeps. At the policy level, we can advocate for top 4 water quality initiatives: Surface Water Improvement Management; Post Construction Control Ordinances; Phase I and Phase II storm water permits; low impact design (required in Huntersville); and promote public education and involvement.

Sources:

Quantity: Donna Lisenby’s presentation

Quality: Mecklenburg County State of the Environment report of 2006