Actual Sources of Water Pollution

Actual Sources of Water Pollution

Laura Gabbard

Western International University

COM 110 Effective Persuasive Writing

Carol Jackson

October 23, 2005

Actual Sources of Water Pollution

So, you finally took that cruise you had wanted to go on. Did you enjoy the relaxed atmosphere? Maybe you saw some whales or dolphins, or even a colony of sea lions. During the day, you soaked up some sun on the deck and watched the seagulls flying overhead. Perhaps you even stopped in a port to do some snorkeling, and beheld the beauty of a school of tropical fish. Did you realize that all along you were contributing to their demise?

The media frequently airs stories of growing pollution in our bays and waterways, caused by wastewater treatment plants. Wastewater treatment plants, being stationary, easily identified targets, are blamed, erroneously, for increased water pollution when it is other, varied, sources such as cruise ships or run-off that are the culprits.

This is a schematic diagram of a rotating biologic...

This is a diagram of a typical surface-aerated bas...

View of muddy river polluted by sediment

Instead of showing a polluted stream, the reporter should be standing on a dock in front of a cruise ship. A shot of a field of corn or herd of cattle would do just as well.

There are two categories of water pollution. These two categories are point, and nonpoint sources. Point sources are permanent structures that are visible. Two of these are wastewater treatment plants and storm-water drain systems. Nonpoint sources come from many different places, except for wastewater treatment plants. Various types of run-off are nonpoint sources, as are cruise ships. (EPA, 2005)

Cruise ships are a prime source of pollution that most people never consider. This is especially true of ships registered to foreign countries. There are thousands of ships around the world. Every drop of the water they use dumps into the oceans and...