Pollution and Source Protection

(Originally posted on waterefficiency.net)

By Elizabeth Cutright
Editor
Water Efficiency

We’ve all been keeping a close eye on the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which started April 20 and, so far, has resulted in the release of over 4 million gallons of oil and cost BP over $350 million in cleanup costs. As we round out 19 days, authorities say that there is “no end in sight” as the oil continues to leak into the gulf, threatening delicate habitats, and 200 miles of coastline. And we all know, this catastrophe will not just devastate the businesses and communities that rely on the myriad of resource provided by the gulf, it will also significantly impact the quality and quantity of water resources throughout the region.
What do pollution and source protection have to do with water efficiency and resource management? It’s a natural question. After all, most of the time, we in the industry associate water efficiency with AMR and leak detection, with maybe a bit of data integration and storage thrown in. But in the pages of Water Efficiency, we’ve often discussed the relationship between source protection, pollution, and water resource management